Blood and Foul
by Moonchild707
Summary: Bella is abused by her step father Phil. When he almost kills her, she turns to her father and brother for help. She hasn't seen them in 8 years. Will Bella find peace and comfort, or will Phil shatter her world again? AH,canon pairings. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 1**

My Life

**A/N: This story is rated M for language and violence. Not for younger readers. Enjoy!**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

BPOV

"BEEEP! BEEEP! BEEEP! BEEEP!"

I slowly opened my eyes and glanced at the alarm clock. 6:00 am. Time to get ready for school. I slowly got out of bed. I winced as I felt sharp, aching pains all over my body. I was used to this. I had never _not _felt pain for about 2 years. Ever since _he _came. I sighed and walked slowly to the bathroom to investigate the newest damage done to me. When I got there, I looked in the long, full length mirror and sighed again. Phil had been worse last night, he had gone further. Apart from the rape, I now had big, purple welts all over my midriff and new hand-shaped bruises on my upper arms. At least there was nothing on my face.

I walked back to my room and picked out an outfit. A long sleeved, black shirt, with light-blue skinny jeans. A plain look today. Nothing extravagant. I went downstairs, to start on the waffles Phil had demanded last night. I was in the middle of mixing the batter when Phil entered the kitchen.

He walked up slowly to me, obviously still slightly drunk from his drinking spell earlier this morning. He sauntered over, turned me around and grabbed my arms. I tensed involuntarily and winced as he squeezed my bruises. He seemed to notice the pain he was inflicting and squeezed harder. He chuckled lightly at my whimper of pain. He looked at me, shamelessly and brought my hands over my head, still squeezing them. I whimpered again as his eyes moved shamelessly around my body. I hoped he would stop soon. He did this every day. If only dad and Em knew what he did. I only talked to Emmett once a month, and I missed him. I haven't seen him since I was 7, even though he only lives about an hour away, in Forks. We were both waiting for the day I turned 18 so that I could come and live with him and dad for a while. Neither one of them knew what happened here. Thanks to Phil, I was deathly afraid of any unknown man who approached me. I trusted Emmett.

Phil looked to my stomach and noticed the large, purple spots. He stared at them. I tried weakly to free my arms, failing miserably. Slowly, he got to his knees, releasing my arms. He lifted my shirt slightly, to get a better look at the result of his violence. I could feel the tears falling. He looked up at me, with a scary look in his eyes. He grabbed my waist roughly, hurting my stomach badly. I screamed out in pain and jerked myself away from him. Bad idea. The look in his eyes changed from lustful to angry in a second. He drew himself up to full height and glared at me.

His eyes were unfocussed. He tried for a minute to focus on me, failing. I could see he was getting frustrated, not being able to talk and move coherently. He raised his hand dramatically, and hit me square in the face. He had_ never_ hit my face before. The force of the blow knocked me down, stunned. I could see him staggering away, to the living room. I felt slightly light headed as I took my hand away from my face and saw the repulsive, red blood dripping from my hand. I stood up, shaking and ran to the bathroom.

I turned around and looked in the mirror. I now had a new, purplish-blue bruise, with a gash running through it. Perfect. I rummaged through the bathroom, looking for some cover up. My school teachers were already getting suspicious about my lack of social skills, and my constant bruises and scrapes. This one would be hard to explain. I sat for a minute, thinking about what excuse I could use. Before I could come up with one, I heard a voice calling me from downstairs.

"Isabella!" Phil screeched. "Get down here now and make my food. HURRY UP!" this speech was followed by a stream of curses and name calling on his part. I sprinted down the stairs, falling flat on my face at the bottom. He smirked, as I got up, blushing.

I finished the waffles from earlier and watched as he ate them. I wasn't allowed to eat breakfast or lunch. Phil didn't want me weighing more than 110lbs. I weighed nearly 95lbs. People at school thought I was anorexic.

I started to walk away, deciding it was safe to leave. I was almost out of the kitchen when Phil stopped me.

"Isabella," he started in a business-like tone "Your school guidance counselor called here last night. She wants to have a discussion with me about your internet course. You'd better hope you're not in trouble." he said menacingly.

"No, sir." I replied, looking down. I could feel my heart beat racing in my chest as he stared at me, as if trying to evaluate the truthfulness of my reply. Slowly, I grabbed my bag and bolted out the door.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: Review please! NO FLAMES! Constructive criticism and tips welcome. Polite and courteous opinions please! Thank You!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 2**

Guidance and Boys

**A/N: Well, this is chapter 2 of Blood and Foul, my newest story. I am still working on "Changes" and Edward****'****s POV of "Confrontations". This story was also based on a dream I had. **

**UPDATE Ch.1: Bella is 15, and living with her mother and Phil. Phil is violent and abusive towards Bella. This morning, Phil hit her and announced that the school guidance counsellor called and wanted someone to come in and talk about Bella****'****s course work. **

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

BPOV

When I arrived at school, I was scared. Phil was coming. Here. To talk with Mrs. Drummond, the guidance counsellor. She of all teachers suspected something about all my injuries. I know she would ask me about the new bruise and cut on my face. I had used cover up, but it was still visible. Just as I was nearing the front doors, I felt myself slip and start to fall to the ground. I braced myself for the impact. When I hit the ground, I heard a roar of laughter from the rest of the student body. I scrambled up, red-faced and gathered my scattered books. Just as I was about to enter the school, I felt someone's arm around my shoulder. I hated being touched. Everyone at school knew this. I tensed and shrugged it off angrily. I turned to see who grabbed me and saw Mike Newton. Of course. For some reason, I didn't trust Mike.

"Oh my God Bella! Are you OK?" he asked worriedly.

"Fine." I said quickly, trying to hide the spot on my face. Mike was always asking awkward questions about my bruises. I swear it was like he and Mrs. Drummond were in a "Let's Discuss Bella's Injuries That She Doesn't Seem to Want to Discuss" club. They both always asked the same questions, with the same tone of voice and concern. It gets really annoying.

"OK…" he said sceptically, glancing at my bruised cheek. "I guess I'll see you in guidance for the online course! Bye Bella!" he said happily.

'Yeah." I mumbled.

The first few classes passed in a blur. A few people inquired about my face, and my fall, but I brushed them off. I was so worried about what Phil would say to Mrs. Drummond, and what she would say back. Eventually, it was time for my online course. At least it wasn't the end of the day. Today was the last day before spring break.

I walked into guidance, and went to my assigned computer. I hated my seat. It seemed that because I was so quiet, I was shoved in between a group of immature boys who never stopped talking. Oh well. A few minutes after I got there, Mike walked in.

"Hey Bella!" he said cheerfully. "What's up?"

"Nothing, Mike" I said in an annoyed tine, hoping he's get the hint. Apparently he didn't.

"So are your parents coming in for the parent meeting with Mrs. D?" he asked.

"My step-father is." I replied, butterflies already starting at the very mention of his arrival.

"Cool! Is he nice? Can I meet him?" Mike asked in a rush.

I looked around, hoping for some reason not to answer him. I couldn't tell him what Phil did, but I was a horrible liar.

"Phil doesn't like….um…people." I said in a rush. I turned to gauge Mike's reaction. He looked worried and confused by my response.

"Oh." he said. "Well maybe next time." he turned away from me and started on his course.

It was about 5 minutes before the parents started arriving. I really hoped that Phil didn't show, and if he did, that he had enough sense to come sober and not hit me here. People would talk if he did. Just as I thought this, I heard the loud, familiar voice. Phil was here. And he was yelling.

Phil burst through the guidance office door, staggering and mumbling incoherently. I felt myself turn red and tears well up in my eyes. I risked a glance at Mike. Mike looked outraged and shocked. Before I could avert my gaze, he noticed the tears in my eyes. He leaned forward in his chair and looked at me anxiously.

"Is that Phil?" he asked incredulously. He wasn't looking at me, but gawking at Phil, as most of the other people in the room were. Most people seemed to be wondering who he was. No one here had ever seen him before. I was supposed to get up and sit with Phil, but I couldn't bring myself to stand

"Yes" I said, my voice breaking, and the tears falling. Mike noticed this and moved to hug me. I jerked away, violently, leaving Mike stunned. The tears were falling noticeably now, and the parents were starting to stare. To my discomfort, Mike grabbed my hand, and helped me up to go to my seat. I shakily stood up and moved cautiously over to Phil. Mike walked me there, glaring at Phil the whole time.

That's when it happened. Phil saw us. Me. And Mike. Together. He gave me a menacing, livid look and then stood up.

"ISABELLA MARIE!" he screeched. The parents now looked angry and scared. Thank God Mike's parents weren't here yet. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? WHO IS _THIS?!"_ he screamed, gesturing rudely towards Mike.

"I-I-I.." I trailed off, not knowing what to say. I could tell he was drunk and angry. When Phil was drunk and angry, it usually resulted in violence.

"TELL ME!" he screamed, grabbing my arms, like he did this morning. I winced and tried to get away. People did not need to see this. I tried to jerk my arm away, only to have him grip me harder. I whimpered a little, trying not to make too much noise in front of everyone.

"Phil, not here." I said quietly.

Phil looked around and seemed genuinely shocked when he saw all the people around us.

"We'll talk about this at home." he said loudly and calmly. "Let's go. We're leaving."

I jumped up and grabbed my bag, just as Mrs. Drummond was coming in to start the meeting. She looked very worried as she saw me packing my things and Phil swaying beside me.

"Where are you going Bella, Mr. Dwyer?" she inquired politely.

"Bella is not well. I will bring her home to rest." replied Phil.

"Are you sure?" she said to Phil, but looking at me.

"Yes." he said curtly, not wanting to waste any time.

He gripped my upper arm, hard and nearly dragged me from the office. I could see Mike's panic-stricken face through the small window on the door. Mrs. Drummond was talking to him and she looked nervous.

Phil brought me to the car, and we drove silently all the way home.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: Review Please! :D **


	3. Chapter 3

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 3**

Blood

**A/N: Here****'****s Chapter 3! Enjoy! This chapter will have more gore than the rest of them.**

_____________________________________________________________________________________

BPOV

We arrived back home, much sooner than I'd hoped due to Phil's drunken, lunatic driving. Our house was a little ways off the main road, so no one saw him drag me viciously out of the car. He grabbed me by my hair, and threw me through the front door.

I scrambled to my feet, only to be thrown bodily into the living room. He threw me hard, and my head hit the table. I was dazed and breathless when he pulled me up, screaming. I could feel the blood trickling down my face.

"You stupid whore!" he screamed. "You're _mine_! How many men do you need you slut!"

I cried as he shouted at me some more. I could feel myself getting dizzy. I stumbled a little, trying to stand up, and he punched me again, in the same place the table had hit. Phil pulled me onto the couch and tied my arms behind my back. He left for the kitchen. He came back a few minutes later, sporting a beer and a rather large kitchen knife. I was terrified as he took a swig of beer and turned to me with the knife raised. He sauntered over, and sat on my legs, pinning me to the couch. He smiled at me, menacingly.

"I'm going to make you MINE!" he screamed.

He held one hand over my mouth, so I couldn't scream. I felt the knife pierce the sensitive, bruised skin on my stomach. I could feel the dizziness overwhelming me as the harsh, rust and salt smell filled my nose. A few minutes later, he released my legs, and walked away. Just before he left the room, he turned to me.

"I'm actually a little tired of you, Isabella." he said thoughtfully. "I'm going to leave you here to die. You'd better be dead when I get back, or you'll wish you'd never lived in the first place."

He turned sharply, and slammed the front door as he left. I looked down at my stomach to investigate the damage. I had some nasty, deep gashes across my stomach. I made my way over to the bathroom to look in the mirror. I had a new gash on my head, and a lot of new purple bruises. I untied my hands carefully. I could feel my consciousness slipping as I went outside. I needed help. Fast. I knew I needed a doctor, I was loosing a lot of blood. And the closest one was in Forks, an hour away. I hopped in my mom's truck, and started to drive, hoping I wouldn't crash.

As I drove, I tried to remember the way to Forks. I was unusually tired and my head was pounding. I had never driven this far before, only being allowed to practise in a field close to my house. I didn't even get my licence until next year. Finally, I saw a sign that read "WELCOME TO FORKS!". I was now dangerously close to passing out. My breathing was irregular, and I could feel my heart pounding much too hard in my chest. I hadn't been here since my mother left 8 years before. I had no idea where the hospital was, or how to get there. I turned down the first side road I saw, hoping to get help.

I realized that as I was driving, this road was oddly familiar. I couldn't quite place it in my incoherent state. As I looked around, I saw an old park, with some rusted swing and a small slide.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Come on Bells!" cried a 9 year old Emmett._

"_I'__m coming Emmy! Hold on!" I cried as I giggled._

_Suddenly we turned the corner and I saw it. The old park! I was so happy that we were here. Emmett never brought me here with his friends, and I wasn__'__t allowed to come alone, even though we lived just a few houses down. _

_END FLASHBACK_

The park. Our park. Dad's house. Oh my God. I could feel myself getting even more light headed as all these memories came rushing back to me. Deciding I couldn't drive anymore, I slowly and painfully got out of the truck. I walked up the road for a few seconds, when I saw it. My old house.

I ran (as much as I could in this state) up to the front door. I could hear voices and laughter inside. There was no police cruiser in the driveway, so Charlie wasn't home yet. There were three unfamiliar cars in the driveway. A huge Jeep, a very nice yellow Porsche and a silver Volvo. I stumbled up the steps, feeling fresh blood ooze through my gashes at the strain.

I started to feel nervous, as I went to knock. I really hoped Emmett and Charlie still actually lived here. Well, I was sure that whoever it was would help me anyways. I raised my arm with difficulty and knocked softly on the door.

I could hear the laughing and voices stop, and someone approaching the door. I could feel myself getting weaker and my knees began to quake. Just as I thought I couldn't keep myself upright anymore, the door flew open. I looked up and saw a HUGE boy standing there. He looked to be about 18, with curly, dark hair and laughing eyes. He looked completely baffled as he stared at me for a minute. Suddenly, four more people walked up behind him. One girl, a small, pixie-like person screamed when she saw me. The other girl, a statuesque blonde and two boys, one blonde and lanky, the other with bronze hair looked on in horror and confusion.

"Em-Emmett?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"Who are…."he began, clearly confused. He paused, recognition appearing on his face. "BELLA?!" he screeched.

I smiled a small smile.

"Emmett." that was all I could manage to say before my knees finally gave out.

I braced myself for the impact of the ground, but before I could hit it, I felt a pair of big, strong arms catch me. They scooped me up, and carried me in the house. I looked up and saw that Emmett looked very scared and angry. He had tears in his eyes. Emmett was going to cry. I had never seen Emmett cry, even when we were little.

"Em." I said quietly. "Em, please don't cry." I said, beginning to cry myself.

"Shh, Bells." he said, his voice hoarse. "It's OK now. No one is going to hurt you here."

I noticed that Emmett had carried me into my old living room. He placed me gently on the couch. I felt very embarrassed as I looked around and saw all four of Emmett's friends standing there also. The pixie girl was crying, and the blonde was about to. The blonde boy looked mad and the bronze-haired boy looked concerned. I took a deep breath, and cried out at the pain as the gashes on my stomach smarted.

"Emmett, I'm bleeding." I said simply. I had a black shirt on, so the blood was not clearly visible.

"Where?" he asked, rushing over in concern.

"Lift my shirt." I said. "It hurts Em." I whined.

"I know Bellsy." he said sympathetically. He lifted my shirt to inspect the damage.

"JESUS!" he screamed as he saw the deep cuts. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Sorry! I'm sorry Emmett!" I said loudly. I never wanted to upset him.

"For what?!" he asked, incredulous. "You didn't do this to yourself!"

He turned to the bronze haired boy.

"Edward, where's your dad?" he asked seriously.

"Working. She needs a hospital Em. She's losing blood fast." replied the boy called Edward.

Then it dawned on me. Hospital. I was a minor. They would call my guardians. Mom. And… Phil.

"NO!" I screamed at Edward and Emmett. "I can't go there. He'll find me. He will." I sobbed.

"Shh. Bella, shh." Emmett soothed. "OK, no hospital." I still could not stop sobbing. I was hyperventilating.

"Em, he'll kill me." I said quietly.

"Who? Who did this Bells?" he asked seriously.

I felt trapped. If I told him, he was sure to leave and go find Phil. I needed him here.

"You promise you won't leave?" I asked.

"Of course not Bellsy. Now who did this?"

"Phil." I whispered, almost inaudibly.

"DAMN HIM! THAT'S SICK!" Emmett boomed in his loud voice.

"What Em?" asked the blonde boy behind him. "Who was it?" he gave me a concerned look.

"Phil." said Emmett simply.

"Your STEP-FATHER!?" the pretty, blonde girl screeched.

"The same." said Emmett sincerely.

The pixie girl burst into new sobs at the revelation.

During the whole conversation, I could hear the voices becoming more and more muffled. I also noticed that Emmett's face was going in and out of focus. While everyone was talking, I noticed that the bronze haired boy was staring at me. He looked very concerned. I wondered briefly who his father was and why Emmett wanted him.

"Em." I said hoarsely. It was becoming harder to breathe. "Where's……Dad?"

"Crap. Dad." Emmett said distractedly. "Jasper, bring me the phone."

"Of course." said the blonde boy named Jasper. He bolted out of the room and came back moments later with a cordless phone. Emmett dialled a number and looked relieved when it picked up.

"Dad! Thank God you answered. You need to come home NOW!" said Emmett. He paused, listening to the reply.

"Dad, it's not me, it's Bella." said Emmett tearfully. "Yeah. No, she's hurt. I know! I know! OK! Bye Dad."

Emmett hung up and looked around at everyone in the room, clearly unsure what to do.

"Ed, can you call your dad at work please?" he said

"Yeah. Give me the phone." replied Edward.

The voices were now so muffled, I couldn't understand them. I heard rustling around me. One thing I did hear clearly was the pixie girl's shriek.

"EMMETT!" she screeched, in a high pitched voice.

Through my blurry vision, I saw Emmett turn to look at me.

"Bells? BELLA?!" he yelled, his expression from desperate to terrified. "Shit!"

"Get her in the car." someone, who I assumed to be Edward said. "Dad just got home. We need to get her there now. He's worried."

I felt myself being carried outside. I was placed in someone's vehicle. Someone else got in the driver's seat, someone else in the passenger's seat, while Emmett was in the back supporting my head in his lap. The car roared to life, loudly, and it made me jump. That's when I noticed that my breathing was getting shallower and more laboured.

"I-can't-breathe-Em." I said.

'I know Bells. Just stay awake for me please. Dad wants to see you. We've missed you." said Emmett brokenly. I could tell he was sobbing. Emmett continued to babble on, but I was too tired to reply.

A few minutes later, the car came to a stop. Emmett handed me down to someone else. I looked up and saw the blonde boy, Jasper holding me. Edward and the pixie girl were already here, by the looks of things. Jasper was speed walking up to a very nice house, closely followed by Emmett and the blonde girl As we approached, the front door flew open to reveal a blonde man, in his mid-thirties. His concerned face was the last thing I saw before my vision went black.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: Please Review! Next Chapter will be Emmett****'****s POV of Bella****'****s arrival. :D**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Blood and Foul- Chapter 4**_

_Unexpected Arrivals_

_**A/N: This is Emmett**__**'**__**s POV of Bella**__**'**__**s arrival. Just to clear things up a bit. Enjoy!**_

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_EmPOV_

_Finally! It was Spring Break. This was my last year in high school, and my last break with all my friends here. I was looking forward to some __"__guy-time__"__ with Jazz and Edward, and some quality time with Rose. And I could hang out with Alice too. Dad was at work, and they were coming over soon. We were having a movie night tonight. I heard a knock on the door, and went to answer it._

_I opened the door and was faced with all my closest friends. There was Jasper and Alice, Rose, and Edward. Alice and Edward were the Cullen siblings. Edward was Dr. and Mrs. Cullen__'__s biological son. He was 16, and we got along well. Alice was adopted by the Cullen__'__s when she was 8. She was taken by Children__'__s Aid because of her abusive parents. Edward was very protective of her. Jasper and my girlfriend, Rose were brother and sister too. Rose was 18 and Jasper was 17. Jasper and Alice were going out. _

"_Hey, man!" said Jasper happily. Jasper always had a calming presence. _

"_Dude! SPRING BREAK!" I cried back. "Rosie!" I yelled loudly. I missed her. I haven'__t seen her since Wednesday and it was already Friday. She skipped over to me, for a long awaited kiss. Just as we were in the middle of it, I heard Edward clear his throat behind me. _

"_Oh screw off, you prude.__"__ I said brusquely, turning back to Rose._

"_Shut up Emmett." said Edward angrily. That boy was 16 years old, and he'__s never had a girlfriend. Forgive me for stating the obvious._

_We all made our way over to the living room. I was just about to start the movies, when Alice stopped me._

"_Oh my God Em!" she exclaimed excitedly. "We should play truth or dare first!" She looked extremely excited and eager. Playing truth or dare was always interesting with us._

"_YEAH!" I screamed, excited too._

"_Umm.. I guess." agreed Jasper, clearly not wanting to upset Alice. That guy was so whipped. Rose and Edward agreed reluctantly._

_We all sat in a circle, trying to decide who was first. _

"_Well, since this was Alice'__s idea, let her go first.__"__ I said, menacingly._

"_OK!" yelled Alice in her ear-splitting soprano voice._

_We all burst out laughing at her enthusiasm. Alice was always so pumped up and peppy. You couldn__'__t__'__t help but love Alice. Just as she was about to announce her victim, there was a quiet knock on the door. _

"_Oh, hold on guys. I'__ll be right back.__"__ I said, annoyed at the visitors timing._

_I stomped over, and opened the door. What I saw there completely astounded me. There was a girl, about 15, on my doorstep, her head bruised and bleeding. She looked like someone had taken a bat to her. I instantly felt bad for her. I was baffled. I heard the others come up behind me. Alice screamed bloody murder when she saw the girl. She could probably relate. I continued to stare, when she spoke to me._

"_Em-Emmett?" she asked in a broken, yet oddly familiar voice._

_I was staggered when the girl knew my name. _

"_Who are…." I trailed off, when the girl looked me full in the face. I instantly recognized her, even after 8 years of not seeing her. "BELLA!?" I screamed._

_She gave me a small smile, confirming my beliefs._

"_Emmett." said Bella. Just as she finished, her knees gave out. I rushed up to her and caught her before she hit the ground. I carried her into the living room, tears welling up in my eyes. Who did this? WHY? I noticed the others staring at me, shocked. They had never met my long lost sister, nor have they ever seen me cry. I looked down, and noticed Bella staring at me, clearly upset. She had never seen me cry, even when we were little. Even at a young age, I had always wanted to protect her from harm._

"_Em." she said weakly. "Em, please don'__t cry.__"__ she said, tears welling up in her own eyes. I didn__'__t want to hurt her, so I bit back my tears._

"_Shh, Bells." I said in a hoarse voice. "It'__s OK now. No one__'__s going to hurt you here.__"_

_We got to the living room, and I placed her gently on the couch. She turned her head slightly, and blushed a bit when she saw Jasper, Edward, Rose and Alice watching her. Alice was crying, and my Rosie was about to. She turned her head back to me. She took a deep breath, and startled us all with her cry of anguish._

"_Emmett, I'__m bleeding.__"__ she stated._

_I hadn__'__t noticed any blood before. I was suddenly worried that her state was worse than I__'__d thought. I rushed over to her, quickly._

"_Where?" I asked sharply._

"_Lift my shirt.'__ she said. I looked down and noticed for the first time that the front of her shirt was soaked. __"__It hurts Em.__"__ she said tearfully._

"_I know, Bellsy." I said soothingly. I slowly to lifted her shirt, to inspect the damage. Her torso was covered in deep, inflamed gashes. Underneath those, were a whole bunch of purple bruises. It looked like she had a couple of broken ribs, on top of everything else. I heard the enraged, astonished gasps from all my friends behind me._

"_JESUS!" I screamed, loudly. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Bella looked frightened now._

"_Sorry! I'__m sorry Emmett!__"__ she exclaimed loudly. Sorry for what?_

"_For what?!" I asked. "You didn'__t do this to yourself!__"__ Bella needed a doctor, fast._

"_Edward, where'__s your dad?__"__ I asked him. His father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen was a world class doctor._

"_Working." replied Edward, looking scared. "She needs a hospital. She'__s losing blood fast.__"_

_Just as I was about to pick her up, to go to the Jeep, she screamed out._

"_NO!" she yelled at Edward and I. "I can'__t go there. He__'__ll find me. He will.__"__ She was hysterical now, which could not be good for her. She was sobbing and hyperventilating._

"_Shh, Bella. Shh." I said, in a desperate attempt to calm her. "OK, no hospital." She was still sobbing._

"_Em, he'__ll kill me.__"__ she said quietly. HE? What kind of man would do __this_? She knew who her attacker was. I needed to know.

"Who? Who did this Bells?" I asked seriously.

She looked like she was debating with herself whether or not to tell me. I could tell she was terrified.

"You promise you won't leave?" she asked, scared. Did she really think I would leave her like this? Never. She was my baby sister and I had to protect her.

"Of course not, Bellsy." I soothed. "Now who did this?" I asked, leaning in to hear her quiet response.

"Phil." she said very quietly. I had my face up to hers and I barely heard her. Phil. My step-father. That sick fuck.

"DAMN HIM! THAT'S SICK!" I boomed. I turned to look at everyone else. They looked very confused.

"What Em?" asked Jasper, calmly. "Who was it?"

"Phil." I stated simply.

The entire group looked outraged. They had all heard the story about my mom's leaving with Bella, 8 years previously. They knew who Phil was.

"Your STEP-FATHER!?" shrieked an angry Rosalie.

"The same." I replied sincerely.

Alice burst into new tears. Her father had abused her too. This must have brought back memories.

The whole group, minus Alice who was still crying, began to curse Phil. They went on for a few minutes, before Bella spoke again.

"Em," she said hoarsely. "Where's…………Dad?" she asked between her labored breaths.

"Crap. Dad." I said. I had completely forgotten about him, in light of recent events. "Jasper, bring me the phone."

"Of course." said Jasper. He darted out of the room. Moments later, he was back again, the cordless phone in his hand. I snatched it away quickly, dialing the police station phone number. I wasn't sure if he would answer. He might be out on a call. I was relieved when the phone picked up.

"Dad! Thank God you answered." I began before he even got a chance to speak. "You need to come home NOW!"

"Jesus Emmett!" Dad yelled, angry. "What did you do now? Are you in trouble?"

I cut him off. "Dad, it's not me, it's Bella." I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

"She's there?" my father asked quietly, astonished.

"Yeah." I said

"Is she OK?" he asked, nervously.

"No, she's hurt."

"What the hell? Get her to a doctor Emmett!" he nearly screamed at me.

"I know! I know! OK!" I said back. "Bye Dad."

I hung up the phone, and looked around desperately at everyone else. I was unsure what to do, after seeing her reaction to the hospital. I didn't want Phil to find her there.

"Ed, can you call your dad at work please?" I asked desperately. I looked at Edward, staring nervously at my sister.

"Yeah. Give me the phone." he replied.

Edward walked out of the room, and into the kitchen to talk with his father. I turned to Rose, who was silently letting her built up tears fall. I felt so helpless and scared. I had never felt this was before. I walked up to her and hugged her.

"It'll be OK Em." she said quietly. "She'll be OK, you'll see. She'll get better and we'll put Phil behind bars where he belongs. Her, me and Alice will be best friends!" she said through her tears, trying to cheer me up. We were jolted out of our hug when Alice's ear-splitting scream rang out.

"EMMETT!" she shrieked, her teary, brown eyes locked on Bella's.

I ran over, to see what the problem was. Bella's eyes were unfocussed and she was shaking. She was deathly pale and her breathing was ragged and short. I had never seen anything like this, except on those ER shows.

"Bells? Bella?" I called her, hoping to get a reaction. Rose was behind me in an instant. Bella's eyes continued to stay unfocussed and droopy. She was going to pass out. "Shit!" I muttered.

Edward came back into the room. He took one look at Bella and his face fell.

"Get her in the car." he said. "Dad just got home. We need to get her there now. He's worried."

I was very scared now. Dr. Cullen never worried, even on his worst ER cases. I scooped Bella off the couch, carefully, realizing for the first time how thin she really was. Alice, Edward, Jasper and Rosalie followed close behind me. I saw Edward get into his Volvo and Alice into her Porsche. Jasper ran over to my Jeep, and opened the back seat. I gingerly placed Bella in the back, and hopped in after her. Jasper went to the driver's seat and Rosalie into the passenger's. I placed Bella's bruised, battered head on my lap, to prevent it jostling on the way. Jasper started the Jeep, and it roared to life loudly. Bella started a little at the noise.

"I-can't-breathe-Em." she gasped between her uneven breaths.

I was sobbing now. She couldn't die.

"I know Bells. Just stay awake for me please. Dad wants to see you. We've missed you."

I was rambling on pointlessly, hoping to keep her awake. She couldn't pass out. That would be bad. I continued to talk about random topics to her, never receiving a reply. A few minutes later, we arrived at the Cullen house. I flung the car door open, and handed my sister to a waiting Jasper. Rose was already inside, having leapt out and sprinted to the door. Jasper sped up to the house, carrying my half-conscious sister, displaying strength I never knew he had. I was hot on his heels as I saw the front door fly open to reveal Dr. Cullen. I saw my sister go limp in Jasper's arms as we went through the door.

"BELLA!" I screamed in fear. Carlisle looked at me sadly as he took Bella into his own arms and carried her in. I sprinted past Jasper and Rose, beating him through the door. Carlisle ran with Bella to the dining room and laid her on the table. I watched as Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rose and Edwards mother, Esme came through the door. Esme looked like crying when she saw Bella on the table, and my broken, fallen face. I'd never lost control of myself before today. Carlisle looked very concerned about Bella.

"Esme, dear, run up and get my bag. And the IV please." said Carlisle calmly.

"Edward, run up to my study and get my blood testing kit. I need to know her blood type." he said to Edward as Esme sprinted out.

That test was unnecessary, because I already knew her blood type. In our early school days, the school we went to had child identification packages. In the package, they took your blood type, in case of emergency hospital visits.

"It's B-positive, Carlisle." I stated quickly.

'Edward go get 2 pints of B-positive, please. Quickly!" said Carlisle.

Edward ran from the room at top speed. Alice, Rose and Jasper stood quietly in the background, looking scared.

"Jasper, would you please take Emmett outside? I think he needs some air." said Carlisle kindly.

"I won't leave her." I said. "I promised." Esme returned, holding a rather large duffle bag, in front of Edward with the IV pole, and blood donations. Carlisle thanked them and turned to me.

"I have to cut her clothes off, Emmett." said Carlisle pointedly.

"I don't care." I said. Seeing my sister in her underpants was nothing. I needed to be here, and know if she was alright.

"Well if you insist." said Carlisle, taking Bella's pulse, and recording it on a sheet of paper. "Could we get dome privacy please?" Carlisle asked, looking knowingly at Esme.

"Oh! Of course. Come on." she said to Jasper, Rose, Edward and Alice. They left the room silently.

Carlisle reached into his bag, and pulled out a pair of scissors. He cut up the middle of her shirt, then down each sleeve, exposing her bloody stomach and bruised chest. Now I could really see the ribs poking out at odd angles. No wonder she couldn't breathe. Luckily, he kept her bra on. He looked surprised at the extent of the damage done to her.

"She's lost a lot of blood Emmett." Carlisle stated. He hooked Bella up to the IV system. He pulled some tape out of his bag, and taped the tubes gently to her hand. He bandaged three different spots on her chest where the ribs poked out, and stitched up her cuts. He was just applying some antibacterial solution, when he spoke again.

"What happened to her Emmett?" looking down at Bella, sadly.

"Honestly, I don't know." I said. "She showed up on my doorstep about 20 minutes ago. She said it was Phil, my step-father." I said the last sentence angrily.

Carlisle stopped working, shocked.

"Your step-father?" he said, sounding angry. I had never heard Carlisle Cullen angry. He usually kept his emotions under control, being a doctor and all.

"Yeah." I said, tearing up again. Carlisle saw the tears, and patted me awkwardly. Carlisle was good friends with my dad. Bella and I were here all the time when we were small. That was before Alice came. I knew we were like Carlisle's own children to him and Esme.

"Well, her head seems fine. Sore, maybe, but no skull damage. Her cuts need stitches, and she's broken three ribs. The only worry now is the blood loss, which I being replenished as we speak." he said. I felt relieved.

"Can she go home, once this is done?" I asked, tapping the IV pole.

"I'm not sure. She'll need to be careful. She was hurt pretty bad. If she had lost any more blood, she would have died. She's so tiny. I'm thinking maybe we should keep her here. Edward told me about her reaction to the hospital." said Carlisle quietly.

I glanced down at the small, broken form of my baby sister. Dad and I had missed her so much over the years. Dad was heartbroken when mom refused us visits. He loved us both, and mom was cruel to keep her form us. I wondered if mom even knew what Phil had done. Now that I got a good look at her, I could see the hand-shaped bruises on her arms, both the old, yellowing ones and the new, blue ones. This abuse had been going on for a while, that much was certain. Just looking at them made me want to kill the bastard responsible.

A little while later, Carlisle said that it would be OK to move her. I needed a blanket first. I wasn't going to carry her through the house in her underpants. I walked into the living room, looking for Alice or Esme, The entire family, plus Jasper and Rosalie was sitting in the living room. At the sight of me, they all turned to me, expectantly, waiting for news.

"Carlisle says we can move her now." I said. "Do you have a blanket or something I can use? She has no clothes."

"Of course, dear." said Esme, jumping off the couch. She walked over to the other sofa, and handed me a large, warm afghan.

"Thanks, Esme." I said, huskily, giving her a warm hug.

"Any time dear." she said sadly.

"I'll go prepare a guest room." said Alice slowly, tears still in her eyes. "Come on, Rose." she said. Rosalie jumped up quickly and darted up the stairs, following Alice.

I walked back into the room just as Carlisle was packing the last of his things.

"Do you want me to bring her?" he asked, courteously.

"No, thanks Carlisle." I said.

"OK Em. I'll call Charlie. Has anyone told him about her yet?" he asked

"I called him earlier. He was coming home. But then Edward said to bring her here." I explained.

"Well I'll call him and explain that she's here. He can come and visit." said Carlisle.

Before I brought Bella upstairs, I walked up to Carlisle and hugged him. He returned the hug warmly.

"Thank you so much Carlisle." I said, teary eyed. I loved Bella more than anyone knew. More than even Rosalie.

"No problem, son. We've missed her too. You and her were like our surrogate children when you were small." Carlisle said, chuckling slightly at the memory. "Take her up now. She needs rest."

I went up to Bella's unconscious form and draped the blanket over her. I scooped her up, swaddling her like a baby, being careful not to disturb her stitches or the IV in her hand. I looked down at her. She looked so fragile in my arms.

I carried her slowly into the living room, where Jasper and Edward were sitting. At the sight of us, they both stood up, to go get her IV pole from the dining room. I slowly ascended the stairs, trying not to jostle her. I carried her to the open door at the end of the hall. Rose and Alice both sat on a couch, silently discussing something. When I came in, they both stood up, to pull down her covers. Before I could put her down, Alice stopped me.

"Emmett, do you want Rose and I to get her some PJ's?" she asked, glancing over to Bella's half-naked form on the bed.

"Yeah. I guess you'd better. She was always insecure about her body." I said quietly.

Alice walked out the door. I could hear her open and close some other doors and rustle around in her room. A few minutes later, she came back with a pair of navy blue pants and tank top. I left the room when Alice and Rose started to undress her. A few minutes later, Carlisle came, followed by Jasper and Edward, carrying medical equipment. I followed them into Bella's room. Carlisle was busy putting Bella's IV back in, now with a clear liquid, instead of the blood from earlier. Edward and Jasper were setting up the pole, as close to the huge, king sized bed as possible. When everyone was finished they went and sat around the room in the sofas and chairs. I went and crawled into the bed beside Bella. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she began to stir.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: Review Please! Next chapter will go back to Bella****'****s POV. I did Emmett****'****s because I wanted you to know what happened, and Bella passed out. I would have done Edward****'****s, but they****'****re not together yet. :D Will happen in future chapters!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 5**

Arrhenphobia

**A/N: Please Read!**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

BPOV

I felt pain. A lot of pain. My entire body hurt. My ribs were throbbing, my stomach was aching, I had a splitting headache and I felt nauseous. I took a few, shallow, painful breaths. I could feel myself on a very comfortable bed, in some comfortable clothes. I wanted to fall asleep again. I had no idea where I was, or who had brought me here. Then I remembered. Phil. Dad. Emmett. Phil had nearly beat me to death, and by a strange twist of fate, I ended up on my father's front steps, in my big brother's arms. I remembered driving to a house. No not a house. A mansion. There was a blonde man in the doorway, then it all went black.

Slowly, I tried to move my hand. I could feel tape and tubing, but it didn't hurt. I must have an IV or something. I shuddered at the thought. I hated needles. When I moved, I felt the bed move slightly, as someone else moved too. I opened my eyes, and looked around.

I was in a strange room. A very nice, majestic room. I was under a thick comforter, with blue flowers printed on it, and propped up into a sitting position on lots of big, fluffy pillows. I could see people, seated on chairs and couches watching me, a look of relief appearing on their faces when I looked at them. There was the pretty, blonde girl, Jasper, Edward, the pixie girl, the blonde man from the doorway, and a motherly-looking woman with caramel coloured hair. I looked over to my left and saw Emmett on the bed, watching me warily, as if I might disintegrate right there and then.

"Bells?" Emmett asked. "How do you feel, honey?" he looked both happy and concerned.

"Lovely." I said, sarcastically.

Emmett's face lit up a bit at my sarcastic comment.

"Who are they?" I asked nervously, nodding to the crowd of people watching us.

"Oh! I forgot you don't know them! Well…" he looked around, wondering where to begin.

Before he could decide, the pixie girl stood up and sat on the end of the bed.

"Hi Bella! I'm Alice Cullen. We're going to be best friends!" said Alice happily. "We'll go shopping!" she added as an afterthought.

Cullen. That name was oddly familiar, but I couldn't place it.

Alice stood up, to introduce the rest of the group. She started on the left and moved along. She pointed at the blonde boy, Jasper.

"This is Jasper Hale. He's my boyfriend." she stated.

"Hi Bella." said Jasper sheepishly. He looked a little embarrassed by Alice's enthusiasm. He seemed shy.

Alice pointed to the devastatingly beautiful blonde girl next.

"This is Rosalie Hale. She's Jasper's sister and Emmett's girlfriend." she said.

I looked up, to see Emmett smiling like an idiot, obviously proud of his beautiful partner. I giggled a bit at his expression.

Alice pointed to the bronze-haired boy next. He was looking at me funny. His cheeks were tinged with pink, and he was looking away, bashfully.

"This is my brother, Edward. He knows you. You used to be friends when you were little!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Then I remembered. The Cullen's were excellent friends with Charlie. Me, Emmett and Edward used to have "play dates" when our parents were together. I looked at Edward fully, for the first time in years, and he looked back. He looked different. He was beautiful. Like a Greek God or something. He must have a girlfriend. He had perfectly chiselled features, stunning emerald eyes, and was sporting a cute, crooked smile. He looked pleased that I seemed to remember him.

"Welcome back Bella." he said, chuckling. "We've missed you."

Next Alice pointed to the older man and woman.

"This is my adoptive father, Carlisle, and my adoptive mother, Esme!" she exclaimed happily. Esme gave me a motherly smile, which I returned, and Carlisle nodded his head.

I looked nervously at Carlisle, and felt unreasonably scared. He reminded me of Phil for some reason. I tried to tell myself that Carlisle would never do anything like that to anyone, he was a doctor. But it was hard. His face was different then Phil's, kinder, but he had the same, strong build.

Slowly, Carlisle stood up, and started to walk over to me. I felt my breathing hitch as he approached. He seemed to notice my fear and backed off. He glanced at Emmett, who placed a reassuring hand on the small of my back.

"It's OK Bells. Carlisle's a doctor. He fixed you up. He won't hurt you." said Emmett soothingly in my ear. I glanced up and saw the concerned faces of all the people around me. Esme looked like she wanted to leap from her spot on the couch and hug me. Carlisle smiled at me, reminding me even more of Phil's menacing smile's. I nearly jumped out of my skin, and, despite my protesting body, shoved myself further back on the bed, into Emmett, trying to get as far as possible from him. I didn't think he would hurt me, but I thought the same with Phil. Look how that turned out. I felt my breathing become hoarse and ragged. I realized I was sobbing again. I knew I was being completely irrational. I was having flashbacks. Phil hitting me. Phil raping me. Phil hitting my mother. Phil, Phil, Phil. I looked up and saw Emmett's concerned expression. He reached out a hand, to calm me. Suddenly, he reminded me of Phil also. I gasped and shied away from him, into the other corner of the bed. Emmett caught what the problem was and quickly removed himself from the bed. I was flat out sobbing now, gasping for breath. Every inch of my body was protesting my movements. I saw Edward and Jasper get up slowly, and move forwards, concerned. I gave a small scream of terror, as I thought of what Phil, only one man, could do. Now there were four of them. Alice, Esme and Rosalie stood up angrily, pulling Jasper and Edward away, and forcing them out the door. I couldn't calm down. I was sobbing and hyperventilating. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Carlisle looked alarmed at my reaction, and it's effects on my broken body, and moved forward again, trying to calm me down. I knew I was hysterical. I screamed in terror as he moved towards me, much too fast. Esme grabbed the back of his shirt, whispered in his ear, and led him over to the door.

I saw Emmett standing in the corner, watching me with a pained, hurt look in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to cry. He moved towards me, seeing how I would react. Before I could comprehend what was happening, I felt myself sobbing even harder, if that was possible. He instantly backed off, and slowly walked out of the room to join the other men. I could swear I heard him sob as the door closed.

Now it was just me, Esme, Alice and Rosalie. Slowly, Rosalie moved closer to me. I let her near. She wasn't a man. For some reason, I trusted her. She sat on the bed, beside me. She was watching me, understanding and sympathetic. Before I could get a hold of myself, she enveloped me in a gentle, sisterly hug. I let myself sob into her shoulder. She held me close, whispering soothing things in my ear. I liked her.

"I'm-I'm s-s-sorr-r-y!" I wailed helplessly. "Em-Emmett will hate me now!" I never wanted to hurt Emmett, let alone make him cry. "I d-didn't m-m-ean to p-push h-him a-away!"

"Never." said Rosalie firmly. "He loves you more than you know, Bella. You didn't see what it did to him to see you like this. You're his baby sister. He will always love you."

I pondered those words for a minute. He loves me. He's my big brother. He had always been protective. It was hurting him to not be able to protect me, for me to not want him. I wanted him back, I missed him.

"Can you go get him?" I asked quietly.

"Of course. Esme? Alice?" she called over my shoulder. Rosalie was quickly replaced by Alice on one side, and Esme on the other.

"We're so sorry, honey." said Esme, sounding sad. "You're welcome here as long as you need."

"We love you Bella." said Alice tearfully. She was starting to cry again.

"Please don't cry Alice!" I wailed helplessly. "I hate seeing everyone so upset!" Alice bit back her tears as I rested my head on her shoulder.

"Shh. It's OK Bella." she soothed.

I stayed in that position, wondering what was taking Rosalie and Emmett so long. Maybe he didn't want to come back? No. Rosalie was right. He loves me. I love him. I've missed him. I was jerked out of my thoughts by the sound of Esme's motherly voice.

"Carlisle won't hurt you Bella. You need to know that. He would never hit you or harm you in any other way. He loves you and Emmett like his own children." she said.

"I know that." I said quietly. "I can't help it. It's just a reaction. I can't believe I sent _Emmett_ away!" I wailed again.

"Shh, honey. He's coming." said Esme tenderly.

Just as she finished saying this, there was a tentative knock on the door. It opened slightly, to admit Rosalie's face.

"He's right here Bella. Do you still want him?" she asked kindly. I nodded, causing my head to throb more.

Slowly the door opened, and Emmett walked in. I felt horrible as I saw his tear-stained face with red eyes and a stuffy nose come in slowly. I wailed in shame because I'd hurt him. I saw his eyes go wide, and he moved to leave.

"NO!" I screamed loudly. "Please don't leave Em! I'm sorry!" I wailed at him.

"Shhhh…. Don't cry Bells." he said soothingly, coming closer to me. He sat on the bed, and moved himself closer to me, gently pulling my bruised, battered body closer to him. "There. It's OK. I understand. I'm not angry. Shh." He "shh'd" me a couple more times until I stopped crying. He held me there, in a protective way, as if trying to shield me from the pain I was feeling. I could feel myself falling asleep. Before I closed my eyes, I managed to say one thing.

"I love you, Emmy-Bear." I said, using our old nicknames. I closed my eyes.

"I love you too Belly-Bear." he replied chuckling.

That was the last thing I heard before falling asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 6**

Arguments

**A/N: Never fear! Phil will be back sometime soon. I want Bella recovered before he comes in. Bella****'****s mom is away on a 2-month business trip to Florida, that****'****s why she hasn****'****t called Bella or been seen in the story. Phil abuses her too though, just not as roughly.**

**And YES! Rose likes Bella in this story, and it is all human. Canon pairings. BxE.**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

BPOV

I woke, a while later to the sounds of shouting. _Great. _I thought. _Emmett was never here. I hit my head, and blacked out. _I felt tears streaming down my face because of my false hope. I missed Emmett more than ever now. The tears were falling thick and fast.

"Bells?" said a concerned voice to my side. "Bella? Are you awake? What's wrong?" said the voice, getting more and more concerned.

I blearily opened one eye, to see who was talking to me. To my shock, I saw Emmett. So he was here! I wasn't dreaming! But then….. Who was fighting?

"Em, who's fighting?" I asked, feeling nervous. From my experience, arguments never ended well for me, even if I wasn't involved.

"Umm…It's Carlisle. And dad." said Emmett, looking away. "Dad got here about 20 minutes ago, and he wanted to see you. Carlisle's making him wait until you wake up, to make sure you won't freak out again. He doesn't know how you'll react, since the only man you'll let near you is me." he said, almost proudly.

"Dad's here?" I asked sharply, feeling tears coming down again. I missed my father a lot. I knew he loved me, and would never hurt me, but he was what Phil tried to replace. My father. If my father figure could beat me, so could my actual father. But I knew he needed to see me.

"Shh. Bella, it's OK. Dad loves you. He was heartbroken when you left." said Emmett distantly, as if remembering. "Can he come in?" he asked, staring at me to gauge my reaction.

I felt my chin quivering slightly. I was terrified. But if I remembered correctly, dad was small. He wasn't very built, not like Emmett. Em was huge. If Emmett would stay, then I was sure I could be safe.

"I trust you Emmett. I think I'll be OK of you stay here with me. Then he can come in. But can you make sure he understands first? I don't want to hurt him too." I said.

"Bells, of course I'll stay here with you, if you want me to. And dad already knows. He's just scared and nervous after what happened. You're his little girl, he wants to see you. He's missed you." said Emmett.

"OK. He can come." I said, feeling anxious.

Emmett moved from the bed, and called something to the people downstairs. He came back, helped me into a sitting position, and placed a protective arm around my shoulders. It hurt a bit, but I was OK with it. I heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." said Emmett softly.

The bedroom door opened, and for the first time in 8 years, I laid eyes on my father. He hadn't changed much. He still had his crinkled, dark brown eyes, Emmett's eyes. He was short and stocky, with a happy face. His eyes looked full of pain and worry as he saw me lying there. I took a deep breath, only to wince at my protesting ribs and stomach. Charlie looked even sadder when he saw this.

"Oh my God, Bella. What happened to you?" he asked desperately.

I burst into tears again, as I remembered all the things Phil had done to me. Emmett placed his hand gently on my back, rubbing soothing circles, while glaring at our father for making me cry again.

"Oh crap." said my dad, backing away, scared. "Oh. Please don't cry! I'm sorry, Bells, I'm sorry!" he wailed helplessly.

I looked up and stared at Charlie full in the face. He looked at me and his face fell. I guess I looked worse than I'd thought. I heard his groan of anguish, as he sunk into the nearest chair, his head in his hands. I could hear him muttering softly to himself. I watched sadly as he broke down. I felt horrible, knowing that this was my fault. I should have stayed away. I suddenly felt like I could trust Charlie. I loved him. I felt my sobs increase as I made to talk to him. I needed him.

"Daddy…" was all I could manage, before breaking down again. I held my arms out to him, inviting him closer. He looked up at me, and jumped off the couch, moving closer to me. I saw Emmett move away slowly, ready to spring back if I had another panic attack. My father moved to Emmett's place on the bed, enveloping me in a warm, long awaited hug. I fell into his waiting arms. I could feel the sobs shaking his body, my own completely overwhelming me. It was very hard to breathe now, with the broken ribs and the sobbing.

"Oh baby." said Charlie tearfully. "I should have never let your mother leave. I love you Bella. I love you…" he trailed off, crying again. I seemed to be hurting everyone lately.

"I'm sorry daddy!" I wailed between sobs! "I'm so sorry! I never wanted to hurt you! I should have stayed away. All I ever did was hurt you, and Emmett, and now Alice and Rosalie and the rest! I feel terrible!" I cried, hoping he wouldn't hit me or send me away.

"Shh, Bella, none of that. We love you. I'm so happy you came back! You've never hurt me. Or Emmett. The others are just very worried for you. They love you already Bells. Never blame yourself. It's not your fault what that bastard did to you. If I'd have known….." he trailed off, leaving me to imagine what would have happened.

"Daddy, I can't go back there. He'll kill me! When he left me there, at the house, he said I'd better be dead when he got back, or I'd have wished I'd never existed in the first place!" I wailed hysterically. I still was having trouble breathing through my sobs and injuries. It hurt a lot

"Shh. I'll never send you back there. Never." he said tearfully, but forcefully.

"Daddy you don't know half the things he did to me." I said tearfully. "He was horrible. For two years he's been doing this. He hits me, grabs me, punches me, and…" I trailed off, my face going red, not wanting to reveal the more grisly and vulgar acts. I was embarrassed and ashamed. I felt my father stiffen, and Emmett came rushing over from his place by the wall. I was gasping for air by the time they spoke again.

"Did he rape you, Bella?" my father asked seriously. I could tell by his face that he didn't really want to know the answer. Emmett, on the other hand looked livid, and ready to kill. He had his fists balled at his sides, his arms stiff. He looked like he wanted to punch something.

I couldn't answer properly. I felt dirty and disgusting. I was gasping and sobbing still. I simply nodded. My father cried some more, and held me close. Emmett let out a howl of rage, and he stormed out the door. I heard stomping, and something shattered. I cried even harder, knowing that I had upset him again. My father noticed my reaction. He pulled away, and looked me over.

"Enough, Emmett! Your freaking her out!" he said in the direction of the door. I heard the stream of curses stop, and footsteps walking away. "You need to see Carlisle. You look ready to pass out." said Charlie, worriedly. I stiffened defensively at the mention of the doctor. Charlie noticed, and soothed me.

"Shh. Bella, I'll be right here. I trust Carlisle. He won't hurt you. I promise." he said

I nodded vigorously, hurting my head. I started to see spots. I couldn't breathe.

"I-can't-b-breathe-d-daddy." I said between gasps. Charlie looked alarmed and jumped up. He ran over to the door and hollered for Carlisle. Before Carlisle could arrive, Emmett burst through the door, panic written all over his face. He came over to me, and held me close. He still seemed angry.

"I'm sorry, Bella?" he said sadly.

"I. Can't. Breathe." I said in a whisper. Emmett let go, and looked alarmed at my response. He pulled me back, out of my hunched over position, and I felt myself go limp. I had no energy to hold myself up. As Carlisle came rushing through the door, I tensed and held on to Charlie and Emmett's shirts for dear life, all I could manage. Carlisle came up slowly, assessing me. I looked at him, trying to figure out what he was going to do.

"Bella, it's OK." said Carlisle. "I won't hurt you. Can I examine you?" he asked carefully.

"She can't breathe, Carlisle." said Charlie, panicking.

"I know Charlie. Esme's bringing the oxygen as we speak. You need to calm down Bella. You're going to hurt yourself." Just as he finished speaking, Esme came in, laden with a large machine with a mask attached. Emmett snatched it away from Esme, and placed the mask on my face. Carlisle took the machine from Emmett, and plugged it in. He pressed a few buttons. I felt a gush of pure, fresh air. I sighed in relief. I could breathe again.

"Can I examine you Bella?" Carlisle asked again.

I looked up to dad and Emmett, looking for an answer. They both gave me small nods.

"OK." I said, terrified. I was starting to trust that he wouldn't try anything with both Emmett and Dad here.

Carlisle came up to me, slowly. He pulled down the big blanket, exposing my thin body. My father gasped out loud at my thinness. Carlisle looked at me, judging whether to continue. He saw that I was calm, and proceeded to lift my shirt. When he lifted it, I looked down to investigate the damage. I now had 5 lines of bandaged stitches covering my splotched stomach. There were three padded spots on my chest, where the ribs had broken. Carlisle gently lifted the bandages, to expose the wounds. I looked away, knowing that if there was blood, I would pass out. He seemed satisfied, and changed the dressings. He pulled my shirt down, and replaced the blanket. He also saw fit to remove the mask from my face, now that my panic attack was over. He placed the machine on the floor beside my bed.

"Thank you Bella." he said in a kind voice. "If you feel anything out of place, be sure to tell me. You'll be staying here, with us for the time being." he smiled a bit at the last part, and I felt myself blush. "Now if you're up to it, there are some anxious friends downstairs that would like to see you."

"OK." I said simply, feeling tired after my ordeal. Charlie and Emmett got off the bed, and walked out, to get everyone else from downstairs.

"Bella, I know this will be difficult for you, but when you're a bit better, you'll need to talk to someone. My family, especially Alice, would be happy to talk to you, if you'd prefer that over a stranger. Alice can relate. She was abused too." he said.

"Thanks." I said, feeling very grateful for all they'd done for me. "I'll think about it."

At that moment, the door flew open to reveal a very anxious and disheveled Alice. She looked worried, but her expression changed to happy when she saw me sitting up.

"Bella! I was so worried. Carlisle came up so fast!" she said in a rush, looking me over.

"Hi, Alice." I said, smiling at her. She was so happy.

Jasper, Edward, Rosalie, Esme, Emmett and Charlie followed her in. I felt awkward, sitting there, useless.

"OK. We'll have to take shifts watching Bella tonight. I don't want anything to happen to her tonight." said Carlisle, knowledgably. "Emmett and Charlie will stay with us tonight too." he added. "Rose and Jasper, you're more than welcome." said Carlisle, smiling at the Hale's.

I was very embarrassed when Carlisle said this. I felt very useless and troublesome. I wondered how big the house really was.

"I don't want to be a burden." I said quietly, tearing up again.

"Nonsense, dear." said Esme soothingly. "Don't think like that. We love you. We all want to help you. You've been through a lot." She came over to the bad, and gave me a warm hug. I liked Esme. She was so kind and motherly.

"What time is it?" I asked. I hated not knowing the time. I didn't even know what day it was, or how long I'd slept.

"It's 7:00 pm on Saturday, dear." said Esme. Wow. I'd slept a whole night and day. "Are you hungry?" she asked, looking at me worriedly.

"A bit." I answered. Truth be told, I was starving. I hadn't eaten in days, since Thursday night at supper.

"We'll get you something." said Esme. She left, and a few minutes later, she came back with a bowl of soup. "It's easiest to eat, honey." she explained. By the time I finished, it was 8:00. I was very tired, and Esme seemed to notice.

"Come on everyone, let's let Bella get some sleep." she said.

Everyone filed out of the room. Edward was the last to leave. He gave me a pleading, pitiful look before he left. He looked like he was debating whether to fight with his parents to stay here. He finally left, and I was left alone with Emmett and Charlie again. I wanted them to stay with me while I fell asleep. They made me feel safe.

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" I asked the two of them.

"Of course, Bells." said my dad. Emmett was nodding in agreement.

I moved to the middle of the giant bed and patted either side of me. I saw Emmett hop in on my left, And Charlie on my right. I rolled onto my left, unbroken side, facing Emmett. I felt Charlie playing in my filthy hair as I fell asleep. I fell asleep to the sound of my brother's rhythmic breathing.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 7**

Nightmares

**A/N: Bella and Edward fluff in this chapter! RATED M FOR A REASON! NOT FOR YOUNGER READERS!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Just to be clear, Edward is 16. Bella is 15. YAY!**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

BPOV

"_ISABELLA!" screeched a horribly familiar voice. "GET OVER HERE NOW!"_

_I walked out of my room, trying to find the staircase. Sooner than I imagined, I felt my foot hit the edge. I walked carefully down them, terrified of what was waiting at the bottom. It was pitch black. I looked through the darkness, trying to find my way around. I could hear the drunken yells of Phil and his friends. I was scared. I walked blindly around the kitchen, until my hand found the front door. Just as I turned the knob, the lights came on. I turned around, and saw him. Phil Dwyer was standing menacingly in the doorway to the living room._

"_Come here, bitch." he said to me. _

_I stopped, dead in my tracks. I couldn__'__t give myself to him willingly. I knew what he was going to do. He and his friends were drunk, and smoking marijuana in the living room. I couldn__'__t degrade myself in front of 6 men. I knew Phil was in a generous, sharing mood tonight. He would pass me around, letting everyone have their way with me. I was still a virgin. I was terrified of losing my virginity this way. I was only fifteen. Phil saw that I was not coming, so he stormed over, and pulled me into the living room by my hair. When we arrived, all five of his friends cheered and whooped. One or two wolf-whistled. I was beet-red by this point, and crying silently. I was scared of what these men would do to me._

_The first, and by far the biggest man sauntered over, staggering slightly. He motioned for the rest to leave the room. All except Phil obliged. It was his house, after all. The man came up to me, and pulled me closer. I shuddered. He started unbuttoning my pyjama shirt, and pulled it off. Luckily, I had slept with my bra on. He moved down, to the drawstring of my pants. He untied them roughly, lust evident in his eyes. He yanked them down, exposing me. He grabbed me by the arm, and threw me on the couch. He began undressing himself, laughing at one of Phil__'__s comments. When he was done, he came over to me. He slid his hands behind me, and undid the clasp of my bra. He slid it off, slowly, gawking at my breasts as he did. He tossed the garment aside, and grabbed both of my breasts, squeezing hard. I protested his groping by trying feebly to smack his hands away. Phil noticed what I was doing, and he came and held my hands above my head. I was sobbing so hard now. The stranger slowly moved down my body, stopping at my hips. He slowly opened my legs, exposing me further. He slid his hands down, molesting me before he raped me. I squirmed under his touch, pleading with him to stop. He looked at me and smirked. He removed his hands. He reached over, and massaged my breasts. Suddenly I felt a searing, tearing pain between my legs, and a groan of pleasure as he started raping me. I screamed bloody murder, hoping the pain would subside…_

"BELLA!" I heard a voice scream from beside me. I opened my eyes, and noticed I was screaming. I was covered in a sheet of sweat and I felt tears pouring down my face. I was very confused. I opened my eyes and shot up, feeling some of the stitches on my stomach break. I gasped, and fell back down. I could feel blood trickling down my stomach.

"Shhh, shhh." said the mysterious, velvety voice from beside me. I opened my eyes and looked around, sobbing hysterically. "You're OK. It was a dream. Shhh." said the voice, coming closer, soothing me.

I sat up slowly, trying to find the calming voice. I felt a hand on my shoulder, pushing me back down to the bed. I looked up, and saw Edward's concerned, worried face in the darkness. He reached over, and turned on a bedside lamp. I looked up at him, shaking and crying. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and watched me nervously. I slowly pulled myself up into a sitting position. I felt his arms wrap around me, enveloping me in a warm hug. I knew I should be freaking out right now, but I felt too scared and traumatized to care. I let him hold me there, as I broke down again. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He held me close, rubbing my back and telling me that I was OK. When I had calmed down, Edward turned to me.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Not really." I replied. "It was about…..Phil." I said, my voice breaking on the last word.

"You can trust me, Bella." said Edward seriously.

I looked at him, tearfully. He was looking at me, waiting for a response. I was embarrassed to tell him what had happened. I had dreamed of the night before I had driven to Emmett's. Phil had been worse that night. After the big man, he let each one of his friends have me before he, himself did. He had taken pleasure in hitting my stomach to cause me to cry out during his turn. I wasn't sure how to tell him. I had only told Charlie and Emmett, and even they didn't know the details. What if he hated me after? For whatever reason, that was a scary prospect. I felt unreasonably panicked at the thought of Edward Cullen hating me.

"I don't know how to tell you." I answered honestly.

"Just tell me the truth." he said. "I won't judge you. It wasn't your fault he hit you."

"He wasn't hitting me in this dream." I answered darkly. "He was worse than that."

"Oh my God." said Edward, looking disgusted. "Did he rape you too?" he asked, looking furious.

"Please don't hate me!" I pleaded with him. I wanted him to like me.

"Hate you?! Is that what you thought?" he asked incredulously, his eyes growing big. "I could never hate you." he added. "Just tell me what happened. Let it all out."

I took a deep, painful breath and started to talk.

"It was the night before I came here. Phil was drunk and getting high with a group of his friends. They were shouting, loudly. I went into the kitchen, looking for some sleeping pills. I have always had sleep issues. I walked into the kitchen, keeping the light off so they wouldn't see me. I heard everything go quiet in the living room, and I knew that they knew I was in there. I made my way over to the front door, hoping to get out before they came in. Just as I was about to unlock the door, the light turned on. Phil was there. He dragged me by the hair into the living room. There was him, and five others. He sent three of them out, leaving me, him and a really big guy. Phil went and sat on the loveseat, and the other guy came up to me. He undressed me, and threw me on the couch. He touched me a bit before he actually did it. Phil held my hands for him. After about 45 minutes, the big guy left, and another guy came in. The same thing happened for the other three. Phil forced me to do whatever they asked. He threatened my mom. When his friends were done, he came and raped me himself. The whole thing lasted from about 2 am to about 5 am. I woke up at 6, and went to school. You know the rest." I finished my monologue, and started crying again. Edward was tearing up. He placed a comforting arm around me, just as the door opened.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the door open. I spun around quickly, hurting my bleeding stomach in the process. The door opened a bit more to reveal Emmett, Charlie, Esme, Carlisle, Alice, Jasper and Rose. They all looked sad and angry. Esme and Rose were crying silently. Emmett and Charlie looked heartbroken. Carlisle and Jasper were concerned. Alice's was a look of pure horror. They had heard the whole thing.

"Oh my God, honey." said Rose, moving forwards, hugging me. Edward removed himself from the bed and allowed Rosalie to sit. She was sobbing, hard. I hugged her back, wincing at the pain in my stomach. She noticed, and put me down on the pillows. I looked at her, and saw that the front of her shirt was bloodstained. Carlisle noticed this, and moved out of the room, to go get his bag. Esme, Emmett and Charlie moved to the bed, each hugging me in turn. Jasper stayed back, not wanting to overwhelm me. All Alice could do was stare. Emmett hugged me last, and I clung to him like a baby. He was crying. I loved Emmett. He was very caring and selfless. He held me to him, not even caring that my blood was staining his shirt. A few minutes later, Carlisle came back, his bag in hand. I let him near me, too tired to care.

It turns out that my abrupt awakening tore almost all of my stitches. Carlisle sewed them up again, looking at me sadly. Everyone else left the room, after saying goodnight. I felt guilty about waking everyone up by shrieking bloody murder. Carlisle turned to me, a sad look on his face.

"I'm going to have to examine you soon. You could have an infection because of them, or you could even be pregnant." he said, looking at me.

I stared at him in shock.

"We don't have to do it now, Bella. But soon." he said, soothingly.

All I could manage was a small, sad whimper.

"Tomorrow?" he asked me.

"What?" I asked. Tomorrow was too soon. I wasn't ready for that.

"Tomorrow. I'll need to do the exam tomorrow. Unless you want to go to the hospital?" he offered.

"NO!" I screeched, loudly. "Please no!" I sobbed.

Carlisle looked a little shocked at my outburst.

"OK, no hospital." he said. "Tomorrow it is then." he added cheerfully.

"OK." I agreed, reluctantly.

"Goodnight, Bella." he said, walking out. Edward came in after him, looking sad.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" I asked, shocked that he would still want to be near me after what I told him.

"My shift's not ever yet." he said, sitting on the bed beside me.

I laid back down, as Edward put out the light. I suddenly felt very alone and vulnerable. I heard rustling in front of me. A small light appeared. Edward had pulled out a book and a small book light. I glanced over to him. He wasn't reading, but watching me carefully. His eyes were full of concern and something else I couldn't place. A different emotion. A kind look. Almost… _loving._

"Edward?" I asked in a small voice.

"Yes?" he asked politely.

"Will you-" I started, feeling embarrassed. "Will you lie with me?" I wanted something solid with me as I slept. Something to protect me from the nightmares.

"Of course, Bella." he said kindly, getting up from his spot on the couch. He walked over to me and crawled in beside me. I moved closer to him, reveling in his warmth. He smelled very nice. He placed his arms around me, protectively.

"I'll always be here, Bells." he said. "You can count on me."

"Thanks Edward." I said sleepily.

Edward began humming softly. It was a lullaby. That was the last thing I heard as I drifted off to sleep, dreaming peacefully until morning.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: So no love yet, but definitely something! Anyways Review please!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 8**

Friends

**A/N: Enjoy!**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

BPOV

I woke up in the morning, feeling under-rested. I was still very tired after the incident in the middle of the night. I turned my head slowly, and saw Edward, sleeping beside me. He was beautiful, even while he slept. I turned to my left, and saw Alice, watching me, a huge smile plastered on her small face.

"You two are so _cute _together!" she whispered loudly. I smiled and blushed crimson. Alice giggled and came over to us. She poked Edward in the back, hard.

"Alice!" I said annoyed. Edward had been up all night with me, screaming. I didn't want her to wake him.

"Oh shush, Bella." said Alice, poking him again. "You need to get cleaned up. Dad wants to see you first, and I'm sure he won't be happy to find Edward in your bed."

"Oh, yeah." I said, feeling embarrassed again. She poked him hard again. He groaned and rolled over.

"Screw off, Alice. I'm tired." he said, sleepily.

"Whatever Ed. Dad's coming, and your sleeping in Bella's bed, with Bella. You can leave him to make assumptions if you want." said Alice indifferently, turning to leave.

Edward leaped out of the bed, and grabbed his book. He gave me a shocked, sorry glance and darted out. Alice and I chatted for a minute, before Carlisle came in.

"Good morning ladies." he said. "Alice, would you please give Bella and I some privacy? You can go and see Rose. She wants to help you get Bella's outfit ready." he said, giving me a pitiful smile as Alice leaped up, squealing at the prospect of dressing me.

"OK! See you soon, Bella!" she said quickly, before darting out.

Carlisle looked at me knowingly.

"Are you ready, Bella?" he asked, concerned. Not really, I thought. This would be hard. Carlisle was a close friend of Charlie's. Awkward.

"Yes." I said shortly. As ready as I'll ever be.

"We can't do it in here, it's not sanitary." he said. "We'll go to my study. I'll carry you, if that's OK? I can wake Emmett…" he said, trailing off.

"No, that's fine. Don't wake Em. I've already caused him enough trouble." I said sadly. After the first panic attack, I began to trust Carlisle. I knew he would never hurt me. He'd saved my life.

Carlisle came closer, and gently scooped me up. I let my head fall against his chest. I was ashamed to have to be doing this. I felt dirty and violated.

Carlisle carried me through the house, stopping in front of an open door. He carried me in, and placed me on a reclining hospital chair. He moved away, and closed the door. For the first time, I noticed he was wearing his hospital scrubs. He put on a pair of gloves, and handed me a hospital gown.

"You'll need to wear this." he said. "Do you want me to help?" he asked kindly.

I looked up at him, very embarrassed. My father's best friend was offering to help me change.

"I'm a doctor, Bella." he said, noticing my expression. "I cut your clothes off the other day. I've seen it all."

"OK." I mumbled, embarrassed at his wording. Carlisle came up behind me, and pulled my shirt off gently. He politely looked away as he helped my arms through the holes. I slipped my pants off, once the robe was on. I felt very exposed, sitting there.

The whole thing took only 10 minutes. Carlisle took some blood work, and examined me. I was blushing throughout the whole thing, trying to repress the memories of the last time a man other than him had seen me naked. When it was over, he came over and gave me a gentle, fatherly hug. I cried a bit at the feeling of relief the exam had brought. Like a huge weight was lifted of my shoulders. He scooped me up gently, and carried me back to my room. Alice and Rose were both there when I returned. They both gave me proud, sympathetic smiles as Carlisle placed me on the bed and left.

"We're so proud of you Bella." said Rosalie softly, hugging me. "I know how hard that is."

"Thanks Rosalie." I said, politely.

"Please call me Rose, Bella." she said with a funny look on her face. "People only call me Rosalie when they're angry. You're not angry are you?" she asked, worried.

I giggled a little. "Of course not, Rose." I said, liking the sense of familiarity.

"Good." she said, smiling. Alice smiled behind her.

"You need a shower, Bells." said Alice, in a business-like tone. I blushed in shame as she pointed out my filthy body. "We'll help you," she continued. "unless you'd prefer Edward?" she asked, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Alice!" I squeaked, completely embarrassed.

"Be nice, Ally." said Rose, moving closer to me.

"I'm just kidding!" she said laughing. Her face suddenly turned angry. "Do _not_ call me 'Ally', Rose." she said seriously.

Rose rolled her eyes, and bent over to pick me up. I wondered if she would have the strength to lug my dead weight all the way to a bathroom.

"Are you sure you can carry me?" I asked her, eying her slender form sceptically.

She scoffed. "Bella, you're so tiny, a four year old could carry you." she said sarcastically. Before I could protest, she scooped me up easily and carried me through a door I hadn't noticed before. Alice opened the door for us, and I was carried into a beautiful, huge bathroom. Alice was filling the tub with warm water. She turned it off, leaving about half a foot of water in the bottom. I looked at her, confused. Why didn't she fill it?

"You have stitches." she stated, answering my unasked question.

"Right." I said. Rose slipped my hospital gown off, leaving me in my bra and panties. It seemed that everyone has seen me naked now. I was usually a very private person.

She lowered me carefully into the tub. I felt my muscles relax. Alice and Rose bustled around me, washing my hair and body. Alice looked a little sad when she saw my bruises and cuts. She washed me carefully. I tried to wash myself with a spare cloth, only to have Rose snatch it away from me quickly.

"You just relax, Bells. You deserve it." she said simply. After that, I let them wash me, being completely cooperative.

Rose helped me out of the bath and out of my soaked undergarments. Just as she slipped them off, she threw a long, fluffy, blue bathrobe around me. I tied the string, concealing myself. Alice attacked my hair with a brush, while Rose painted my toenails a brilliant red. When Alice was done, she put it in a very comfortable French-braid. Rose picked me up again, and carried me out.

I expected her to place me in my bed. I was shocked when she carried me out into the hallway. We walked past some more rooms. I saw Edward and Jasper talking in one. They both smiled at me as we passed. Rose carried me carefully through a doorway, into a very large, very pink room. I looked around, trying to figure out to whom this room belonged. Alice. There were pictures of her and Jasper everywhere. Rose carried me over to a large, comfy chair. She sat me in it, and disappeared behind a set of large, double-doors.

"Guys?" I called out, annoyed at my lack of mobility.

"Hold on Bella!" said Alice. "We'll be out in a minute!"

"OK." I said quietly, to myself.

A few minutes later, Alice and Rose came out, each with an armful of clothes.

"What are those for?" I asked, feeling nervous.

"Well," Alice started. "Charlie and Emmett want to take you home tonight. You're doing much better than my dad thought you would. Since you have no clothes, Rose and I went shopping yesterday!" she announced proudly.

"Oh." I said, not knowing what to say. Everyone here was so nice to me. I wasn't used to it. "Thanks."

"No problem, Bella!" said Alice happily. "We're going to dress you!" shrieked Alice excitedly.

Before I could reply, Alice had Rose pick me up and put me on her bed. She came forward, carrying a blue silk, button-up blouse and a pair of black capris. Rose came with a black, lacy bra and matching panties. She slipped them on strategically, never removing my robe. When she was done, Alice ripped off the robe and helped me into the outfit. I looked at myself in the mirror, and saw that I looked a lot better. I was clean, my hair was brushed, and I was dressed nicely. The bruise on my face was clearing up nicely. Alice and Rose clapped when they saw me.

"Yay!" said Alice, bouncing like a two-year-old. "It looks so good! I knew it would!"

"Come on. Let's go downstairs and show everyone else." said Rose, looking happy too.

I felt like a baby as Rose scooped me up and carried me down the hall. I stopped her after she carried me down the stairs.

"Can I try and walk Rose?" I asked desperately wanting to be mobile again.

"Umm…" said Rose, clearly unsure. She glanced at Alice who looked just as unsure.

"I'm sure that would be fine." said a smooth voice from behind me. I looked over Rose to see Edward and Jasper watching us, amused expressions on their faces.

"Are you sure Ed?" asked Alice, worriedly. "I mean, what if she falls?" she glanced at me again.

"If she falls, we catch her." he said sensibly. "I mean there are four of us, and one of her." he said.

"Well, I guess." said Alice, motioning for Rose to put me down.

Rose slowly lowered me to the floor, still supporting my weight. Alice moved in front of me, while Rose and Jasper were on either side. I could her Edward moving behind me. Slowly, everyone let me go, and I felt myself sway. I didn't want to fall. I needed to move. I felt Jasper's strong, gentle grip on my arm as I swayed towards him.

"Thanks." I said, smiling at him.

"Anytime." he said, smiling, as he steadied me.

Slowly, I took a step forwards. My whole body hurt, but I didn't care. I was ecstatic. I took another step, slowly, and moved along. I took a few more steps, and was aware of everyone's nervous gazes on me. I approached the door where Alice was leading me. Just as I was getting there, my foot caught on something. I felt myself fly forwards and land flat on the floor. My body throbbed in protest, but something seemed exceedingly funny about the whole situation. I was silently shaking with laughter. I heard Alice's small squeal, and Jasper's cursing. I laid on the floor, shaking, for a minute, before a pair of arms rushed over and turned me over. I opened my eyes and saw a pair of worried emerald ones staring at me. He seemed relieved when I burst out into very loud laughter. Slowly, the tension faded away, and soon everyone was laughing.

"Oh my God, Bella, are you OK?" asked Alice, who was giggling behind her hand.

"Yeah." I said, still laughing.

"No more walking for you missy." said Rose in a mock-serious tone. "You'll kill yourself!" she said.

Before she had finished speaking, Edward's strong, perfect arms scooped me up off the floor. He carried me past everyone and walked through the door. Esme and Carlisle were talking at the kitchen table.

"Good morning, sweetheart." said Esme, looking anxiously to me. "Are you hungry? We have pancakes." she offered. "And what is so darn funny?" she asked, looking at our laughing faces.

"Bella tried walking, and she fell." said Edward, who had stopped laughing.

Esme stopped dead and wheeled around to me.

"Oh my God! Are you OK?!" she asked, looking scared. She looked swiftly over at Carlisle who was watching me carefully.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Cullen." I said, politely.

"Esme, dear." she said looking away.

"OK, Esme." I said. "Um… Where's dad and Emmett?" I asked, noticing they weren't there.

"They went home to get your room ready, honey." she said kindly. "They want you at home." she said, smiling at me. She came closer to me and placed a stack of pancakes in front of me, then everyone else. I ate as politely as I could, considering that I was starving. Esme smiled at me as I finished my food. After, Alice and Rose went back upstairs to get my new clothes. Carlisle went up and got a few medical supplies I might need at home. Some new bandages and padding for my cuts and ribs. He explained how he had showed both Emmett and Charlie how to change them. I thanked him again as he left to go to work.

Esme, Alice, Rose and I chatted while we waited for Emmett and my dad to come back. It wasn't long before we heard the loud rumble of Emmett's monstrous Jeep outside. There was a loud knock, and Emmett strolled in.

"Hey Bells." he said. "You ready?" he asked, coming over to help me out. He picked me up, and put me in the front seat. He disappeared for a minute, and came back with some bags. He tossed them in the back and hopped in the driver's seat.

"So, what have you been doing today?" I asked him, starting a conversation.

"Well, I woke up, ate breakfast, and went home to help dad. He's so happy you're here. We really missed you all these years." he said thoughtfully, as we pulled into the driveway.

Dad met us outside, before I was even out of the Jeep. Charlie lifted me out, and helped me into the house. Things had been cleaned up since my earlier arrival. He carried me up the stairs, and into my old room. He laid me on the bed, tucked me in like a child, and sat beside me on my old rocking chair. Emmett appeared a few minutes later with my bags. He laid them down and gave me a gentle hug. I was very tired, and Charlie and Emmett seemed to notice.

"Get some sleep, Bells. You'll heal faster." said Charlie.

"Yeah. I think I will." I said, feeling slightly awkward. "I'll see you two later?' I asked.

"Of course, honey." said Charlie soothingly. "We'll be here."

Both of them left the room quietly. I laid down on my pillow, falling into a deep sleep.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: Reviews please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 9**

Dinner

**A/N: Read and Review**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

BPOV

The next few days were awkward. Slowly, I learned to get out of bed by myself, and I was able to walk around the house, as long as I avoided the stairs. The second time I was able to walk, Emmett tried to help me down the stairs. I tripped, and would have broken my neck if Em hadn't caught me at the last minute. After that, I was forbidden to try the stairs.

Rose and Alice had been over lots, helping me change and wash. I was quite independent now, but Alice refused to let me dress myself. I was like a little doll to her. She loved to dress me and do my hair and makeup. Alice and Rose were becoming good friends, and they were so nice to me, I let them do whatever they wanted.

Edward and Jasper were also common sights in the house. It seemed like the three boys were inseparable. They were all very protective of me. Emmett's big brother attitude had rubbed off on all of them. They were always willing to help, whenever I needed it.

Carlisle had also come over earlier that day, to remove my stitches and bandages. He said that my ribs were fully healed, and the cuts were almost there. They were scabbed over, and I was eager to have the stitches out. I wanted a real shower. He laughed a bit when I told him this, and decided to take them out. I was very happy. He invited everyone over for dinner that night. He said Esme was very eager to see me again, and learn how I was progressing. I accepted happily. I liked the Cullen's a lot. They were all so kind. Edward seemed a bit overly pleased about my acceptance. He was always acting differently around me. More caring and concerned than with the others. He insisted on helping me do everything when he was over. I tried to protest, but the look on his face shut me up quickly. He looked so determined, I knew pleading would get me nowhere. He was so stubborn, but I liked him for it. He went home, soon after to help with dinner.

Alice came over, to pick me up for dinner and dress me. She walked in with a lot of new shopping bags.

"Alice, you know dad and Emmett are coming too. You didn't need to pick me up." I said, assessing her face.

"Oh I know." she said happily. "I wanted you to come with me early. Mom misses you. She loves you, you know." she said, looking at me.

"Oh. I was just making sure you knew you didn't _need_ to do this." I said, feeling awkward.

"OK." said Alice, still sifting through some clothes. "I know."

She squealed once and came to me, arms full of clothes. She dragged me into the pitifully small bathroom to make me change. I slowly peeled off my comfy pyjamas and started to dress. She had picked a red, v-neck top with a black belt around the waist, and a pair of black skinny jeans. To set the whole thing off, she had a pair of sparkly red ballet flats. I put them all on, and opened the door to let her in. She clapped happily when she saw the outfit. I turned and looked in the mirror. I had to hand it to her, she knew how to dress me. I liked it. She came in, and pulled out a make up bag and some hair products. An hour later, she had a some light makeup on me, and my dark hair was hanging down my back in my natural ringlets. Alice dragged me out the door, and sprinted down the stairs. She looked at me, confused as to why I wasn't following her.

"I'm not allowed to do stairs yet." I explained, blushing.

"Oh! Well… ummm.." she said looking around for a solution to the problem. "EMMETT!!!" she shrieked loudly.

I heard something clatter in the kitchen, and loud footsteps running. Emmett and Jasper came flying out of the kitchen, worried looks on their faces. They stared at Alice, who was standing smugly at the bottom of the stairs.

"What? What happened? Are you OK? Where's Bella?" Emmett asked in a rush, panic clear on his face.

"I'm fine." said Alice, trying not to giggle. "Bella, however is not." she said seriously. The boys' faces looked even more panicked now.

"Where is she?" said Jasper, staring at Alice

"Bella has got herself into quite the predicament." said Alice. "It seems that she is expected for dinner early, but is trapped at the top of the stairs." she said, eying Emmett. Emmett's panic was replaced by annoyance. Jasper looked like he wanted to laugh. "Would someone be so kind as to help her down?" she inquired politely.

"Jesus, Alice. Don't do that." said Emmett, relaxing a bit. "We thought she had hurt herself again."

Emmett moved up the stairs, approaching me.

"You look great, Bells." he said. "Up you get." he scooped me up bridal style and carried me down the stairs. He placed me carefully on my feet at the bottom.

"You look very nice, Bella." said Jasper. He was giving me the same, appraising look Emmett had.

"Come on Bells!" said Alice, grabbing my hand. "We have to go! Bye guys! Love you Jasper!" she cried as we left.

"Bye!" I shouted, just as the door closed. Alice led me over to the passenger side of her yellow Porsche. Her house was about 10 minutes away, but Alice cut the time in half with her lunatic driving. We pulled up in her driveway about 5 minutes later.

We walked up to the front door, and up to some stairs. I stopped, embarrassed at the fact that I was forbidden to climb them. Emmett would me mad if I endangered myself. Alice noticed my hesitation, and sighed.

"Come on Bella. Just try. There's a rail, and I'll stand behind you. Emmett will never know." she said slyly.

I placed my foot on the first step, slowly pulling myself up. I felt very proud as I made my way up. I reached the top, very quickly. Alice came up quickly behind me, and hugged me.

"See? I knew Emmett was being stupid again." she said cheerfully. "He underestimates you."

I walked through the door, slowly, hoping not to trip. My wish was not granted, as I felt my foot catch on the entrance mat, and I flew forwards. I braced myself for the impact of the floor, but it never came. Just before, I hit the ground, two, strong hands wrapped around my arms, pulling me up. I looked up, blushing to see who caught me. I looked up and saw a pair of amused, emerald eyes. Edward placed me on my feet, and backed off, looking me over. He chuckled a bit, and rolled his eyes.

"I think you need a wheelchair or something." he joked. "You're going to kill yourself someday."

'Yeah." I said, laughing reluctantly. "I'm such a klutz."

"That's for sure. Come on in, Mom's waiting for you." he said, offering me his arm, theatrically. I looked at him, unsure what to do. I slowly approached, and placed my arm through his. I heard Alice giggle from behind me.

"Come, my lady, and we shall dine." he said, imitating a 16th century gentleman.

"Certainly, my lord." I replied, playing the part. He led me gently into the dining room, where Esme and Carlisle were seated. He walked me over to Esme, who was smiling at us. He pulled out the chair for me, and I sat. He took my hand gently, and kissed it, like a man in an old romance movie. I giggled a little and turned red. Esme was watching us with an amused expression. Carlisle looked happy. Alice was smiling hugely. Edward gave me one last bow, and walked over to sit by his father.

"How have you been, dear?" asked Esme kindly. She looked very happy at my progress.

"Good. A lot better than before." I replied. Her face lit up into an excited smile.

"Well, dinner's almost ready. Alice? Edward? Would you help me please?" she asked, giving her children a authoritative look.

"Sure, mom." they responded, jumping up to help her. They both left the room, leaving me and Carlisle alone.

"How are you, Bella?" he asked, looking at me carefully.

"Good, thank you Dr. Cullen." I replied, avoiding his gaze. I knew he wanted to tell me something, though I was unsure whether I wanted to hear it.

"Call me Carlisle, please Bella. It's less formal." he said, smiling at me. "I got the results of your blood work back. Everything's perfectly normal." he said happily. I was relieved. He smiled at me, looking relieved too. "I'm really glad you've learned to trust me, Bella. It was a huge step for you. If you don't mind though, I'd like to ask you a question." he said, looking at me.

"Um, OK." I said bashfully. I was a little nervous as to what he would ask.

"Why were you so afraid of me at first?" he asked, looking genuinely curious, and maybe even a little hurt. I blushed deeper, becoming embarrassed by the ridiculous reasons behind my fears.

"Well, you reminded me of Phil for some reason." I said quietly. "You both have the same build. When you smiled at me then, it reminded me of the false smiles he'd give me all the time."

Carlisle smiled sympathetically. "I understand, Bella. Sometimes little things can trigger memories we'd rather not relive." said Carlisle quietly. He reached over and patted my hand, a friendly gesture. He stood up quickly, moving towards the door. "I'll go help Esme and the others bring in dinner! You stay here." he ordered, changing the subject. "I'll be back momentarily."

"OK." I said to him.

He walked out of the room, passing Alice and Edward in the doorway. Alice came in with a salad in one hand, and mashed potatoes in the other. She sat next to me at the table. Edward smiled at me, placing some pork chops on the table. He bowed theatrically again, sitting directly in front of me. Esme and Carlisle returned, carrying the rest of the food. Just as they placed the last dish on the table, the doorbell rang. Esme rushed out to answer it. Everyone sat silently for a minute, waiting for the guests to arrive. A few minutes later, Esme returned, followed by Emmett, Charlie, Rose and Jasper. They all smiled happily at me, and took their seats around the table. Everyone began serving themselves food. I took a little bit of potatoes, a pork chop and some salad. My helping looked pitifully small compared to everyone else's. I ate slowly, becoming very full by the time I was finished. I glanced over at Emmett who was on his second heaping plate of food. He ate as much in one meal as I did in a week! He caught my gaze, and smiled.

"Not hungry Bells?" he asked, between bites. I blushed a bit as everyone turned their heads to me, staring.

"Um, Em, unlike you, I'm not a horse." I said jokingly. Everyone snickered at my remark about Emmett's eating habits. Apparently this was completely normal. Emmett's laughter resonated through the house. Everyone turned back to their food. I sat and talked with Alice while everyone else finished.

"So, Bells, now that you're here, we're going to need to register you for school." said Charlie, seriously. "You don't plan on returning to Port Angeles do you?" he asked, eying me carefully.

"No." I said a little too quickly, nervousness creeping up on me. "Mom's gone for a few months. On business in L.A. She never calls." I said quietly, looking down at the table. Alice patted me on the back sympathetically.

"Bells," said Emmett, turning serious. "Does Mom know? What he did I mean?" he asked.

Mom. She suspected something, but Phil never let her see him hit me. I could feel the tears spring up in my eyes, at the thought of what he could do to her. I took a deep breath, and shrugged my shoulders, not trusting myself to speak. I didn't want to cry in the middle of Esme's dinner.

"Honey, does she know?" said Charlie, looking angry.

"I don't know." I said my voice breaking. "I'm sure she suspected it, but he never hit me when she was around. He hits her too though." I added.

"OK." said Charlie, looking nervously at me. "We'll talk about this later." he said.

I nodded thankful that he let it go. Alice hugged me, and excused us. She helped me over to the living room, where she turned on the TV. I could hear muffled conversation from the dining room.

"It'll be OK, Bells." said Alice quietly to me. "I know how you feel. Did anyone ever tell you what happened to me?" she asked, looking at me.

"A bit. I know that you were abused too, and then you were adopted by the Cullen's." I said, remembering a few things that I had been told.

"Well, would you mind if I told you? Even Carlisle and Esme don't know the details. I'll tell you though, if you want. You can relate better than anyone I know, except maybe Rose. You have to ask her sometime. She's better at talking about her ordeal than me. It would be good for all of us." she said.

"OK. Only if you want to, though. I don't want to pry." I said.

"Ok." She began. "I was 6 years old when my mom, Elaine Brandon divorced my father, Ron Brandon. I moved in with my mom, and my dad disappeared. I haven't seen him since the day we left. My mom moved to Port Angeles with me. It was a year later when she met Mark. Mark seemed nice enough at first. He was kind to me and he made my mom happy. Eventually, they married, and Mark adopted me as his own. The only thing I kept was my name. I was still Mary Alice Brandon. Mark was angry that I kept my name. Eventually, he started drinking and got hooked on heroine. He was drinking a six-pack per night and shooting up every day. He started to hit me and my mom if we did anything he didn't like. I would cry and cry at night, hoping that someone would stop him. They never did. The abuse went on for two years. When I was eight, he hit an extreme. He attacked me and my mother violently. She tried to defend me, but he was stronger. She died that night. He hit her too hard in the head, and she died instantly. After my mom was dead, he turned to me. He raised his hand, and hit me a few times. It get's kind of fuzzy after that. I fell to the ground, bleeding and broken. I was aware of my neighbors coming in, trying to talk to me, and calling 911. Mark was still raging, though a few people had a hold on him. I was taken into the ambulance, and to the hospital. I remember hearing someone paging a Dr. Cullen for a critical pediatric trauma. I remember seeing Carlisle's face, before I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, alone. A nurse came in, looked at me and rushed out. She came back a few minutes later with Carlisle. He did a few tests, and determined that I would suffer no lasting damage. I had a broken arm, a few cracked ribs and a concussion. He asked me my name, and if I had any relatives. My mother's family was all dead, and no one knew where my father was. I told him this, and his face fell. He said he'd figure something out. He came back later, with a lady, his wife, Esme. She told me her name, and asked me if I wanted to come home with her for a while, while they tried to find my family. I didn't know what else to do, so I agreed. She was so happy. A few days later, Carlisle and Esme picked me up, and brought me home. Esme had decorated a room for me, all pink. I felt happy and safe here. I stayed and recovered with them for a few months. The next day, the police called and said that no family had been found, and that I was being put up for adoption. They asked if I could stay with the Cullen's for a while. They agreed whole heartedly. That night, they had a talk with me. They wanted to know if I would like to stay with them permanently. Of course, I said yes. I already loved them all, and I got along well with Edward. The next week, they adopted me and I became Mary Alice Brandon Cullen. I'm 16 now, and I've been here ever since." Alice finished her monologue, and I noticed I was crying. Alice looked at me sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Alice." I said, sobbing. I felt horrible for her. "I'm glad you told me." I said. She came over and hugged, tears falling down her own face. I couldn't understand how anyone could hit Alice. She was so sweet and innocent.

Slowly, the kitchen door opened, and Jasper poked his head through. He looked at us sympathetically, as I tried to mop the tears off my face, failing.

"Can we come in now? Carlisle figured you two were talking." he said awkwardly. Alice looked at me and I nodded. She told Jasper that they could come. We sat, both crying side by side on the couch as the rest of the dinner guests filed in quietly. They all sat on couches, trying not to stare at Alice and me. I looked over at the clock. It was already 6:00 pm. We'd been talking for a while. I was still crying silently when Esme spoke.

"Are you OK, Bella?" she asked, concerned. I nodded quickly, trying to stall my tears.

"Yeah." I said thickly, my voice breaking. "Just a little sad." I glanced over at Alice, who had her head in her hands. She looked relieved to have finally shared her story with someone who could fully understand.

Alice stood up, shakily, and walked over to the big, winding staircase. "Excuse me." she mumbled as she left. Esme and Jasper looked up in concern. Jasper stood slowly, and followed Alice upstairs. I looked up and saw everyone looking at me. They looked sympathetic. Emmett stood up and took Alice's seat. I let myself lean into him, crying still. He placed his arm around me, and spoke to the rest.

"Dad, I think we should take her home." he said, watching my father.

"Yes, of course." said Charlie, jumping up. "Can you take her? I have to get to the station." said Charlie, looking at me, concerned.

"Yeah. I'll be right back Bells." he said, getting up with Rosalie to go start the Jeep. Rose was staying with me tonight. Charlie kissed my forehead, and left silently for his night shift. Esme gave me a hug, and left, to clear the dinner table. Carlisle said a quick goodbye and went to help Esme. I was left, alone, crying silently with only Edward sitting across from me. I felt very lonely and depressed after Alice's revelation. I sobbed a bit harder, at the remembrance of her story, and Edward stood up. He looked concerned and sad as he watched me crying hysterically. He came over, and took Emmett's seat. He wordlessly placed his arms around me. I felt safe and loved with him there. I let myself fall into him, as I'd done with Emmett. It felt different though, more natural with Edward. I felt happy there, like I belonged in his arms. I looked up and saw him looking at me, the same expression in his eyes as I was feeling at that moment. Like…love? I looked away, embarrassed at letting myself think that way. He held me close, rubbing my back. I heard the door open again, and Emmett's heavy footsteps come in to the living room. Edward loosened his hold a little, seeming nervous about Emmett seeing us like this.

"Bells?" I heard Rose call. "Are you ready to go?" I heard her and Emmett come into the room. I was still clutching Edward, in a strong grip. He didn't let go as Emmett came in. I was grateful.

"Umm, Ed? Why are you hugging my sister like that?" asked Emmett, rather rudely, gesturing towards us. I looked away, shamefully. I heard a smack and a grunt of "Ow". I looked up around Edward to see Rosalie standing behind Emmett, her purse raised and Emmett holding the side of his head.

"What was that for?" he asked, looking baffled.

"For being completely insensitive, Emmett. God you have the emotions of a two year old." she said, rolling her eyes. She moved forward, to help me up. Edward let go of me, and I leaned into Rose, and she stormed haughtily passed Emmett. I gave him a small smile as he followed us out, saying a rushed goodbye to Edward. I looked behind at him, and waved sadly. He smiled back, looking at me lovingly. Did he like me more than I thought? No. I couldn't think like that. I couldn't allow myself to feel this way. I couldn't feel that way about him. He was a God. Perfect in every way. I was simple and plain. Not to mention that he could get any girl he wanted. But I couldn't help myself. Just as we pulled into our driveway, I came to a realization. I couldn't repress my feelings anymore. I loved Edward Cullen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: Bella now officially loved Edward! Will he return those feelings! Just to be clear, Bella arrived in Forks on Friday. She stayed with the Cullen****'****s for three nights, until Monday. She went home with Emmett and Charlie on Monday, and this dinner scene happened on Saturday, a week after she came. Bella, Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper and Edward all have school on Monday. Bella is a sophomore, Edward and Alice are Juniors, and Jasper, Emmett and Rose are seniors.**

**Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Blood and Foul- Chapter 10**_

_Preparations_

_**A/N: Bella**__**'**__**s first day at Forks High! She is younger than the rest, so none of the others are in her classes. **_

_**_____________________________________________________________________________________**_

BPOV

I woke up on Sunday, feeling tired. I was about to close my eyes, and go back to sleep, when my door opened softly. I saw Rose, fully dressed, come slowly in the room.

"Are you OK?" she asked me. I shrugged my shoulders in reply as she moved forward.

"Alice told you her story?" she asked. I nodded, feeling the tears come up again. "She must really love you. She's never told anyone the full story, only the main points." said Rose, looking at me.

"I feel terrible for her." I said, sniffling. "I feel terrible that anyone else should have to go through the same things I did. Let alone Alice. She's so sweet and happy all the time." I said, moving closer to Rose. She nodded.

"Rose," I asked, remembering Alice's suggestion from yesterday. "What happened to you? Alice said I should ask." She sighed sadly, and plunged into her story. Two years ago, she got her first boyfriend. They went out for a while, before he took her to a party one night. He was drunk, and he raped her, leaving her broken and bleeding for Jasper to find later. He drove her to the ER, and was there for her through the whole thing. Alice had helped too. I felt a tear slide down at her story.

"That's awful." I whispered.

"I know." she said, sadly. "I know, but we just have to accept the past. We can't change what's already happened. Now come on and get dressed. Charlie and Emmett are worried about you. You've slept so long. It's already passed noon. Alice has been calling non-stop since 9, and we have to go to the school and register you."

I slowly got out of bed. I cleaned myself up, and got dressed in the outfit Rose handed me. I walked slowly down the stairs, with Rose's help and made it safely to the bottom. I went into the living room, to find Charlie and Emmett. I walked in and they were both watching a sports show on TV. They both turned their heads as I came in. Emmett came forward and pulled me into his lap on the couch. I yawned hugely, letting myself lean against him. I heard him chuckle before he spoke.

"Jeez! You can't still be tired!" he exclaimed. "You've slept for hours." he gave me a light hug, and turned back to the show. Rose sat between Charlie and Emmett on the couch, watching us happily. Emmett had a proud smile on his face as he turned to Charlie.

"Dad, can you call Mrs. Cope and ask her if she can go to the school? Bella needs to be registered." said Emmett.

"Are you sure she's ready, Em? I mean look what happened." he said glancing at me anxiously. I knew he was feeling very protective of me. He felt horrible knowing that I was beaten and raped and there was nothing he could do.

I jumped lightly off of Emmett's knee and walked over to him. I plopped myself down on him, instead. I placed a light kiss on his cheek before I spoke.

"I'm fine, daddy. I really miss school. It gives me a sense of stability. I was a straight-A student before, and I don't want my marks to go down." I said, leaning my head on his shoulder. He placed his arm around me, listening intently. "Besides, I don't want to be here by myself all day! I'd go crazy." I said.

"Well I could take some time off, and Emmett could miss a few days of school." said my father, trying to reason with me. "We've missed you so much. There's a lot to catch up on." he said

"Please, daddy?" I asked into his shoulder. I didn't want to cause any more trouble than I'd already had. "I don't want to cause you any more trouble."

"Bella." said my father sternly. "You've never been any trouble to me, or your brother. You need to realize that. We love you." he tightened his arms around me. I felt Emmett come around and join us.

"Group hug!" he called loudly, pulling Rose up and making her join in. When Emmett and Rose let go, Charlie pulled me away, looking at me.

"Are you sure, Bella? Kids can be really nasty sometimes. I think you should wait." he said, looking distracted.

"Dad, I really want to go back. I love school. No one would dare even look at me funny, with Emmett around." I said, looking over to Emmett, who looked menacing at the thought of someone messing with me.

"You won't have to worry about anyone there, dad." said Emmett darkly. "No one will touch her. I promise." he said. Dad looked a little worried at Emmett's expression.

"Well, if you're sure." he said, giving in. "You'll need to go shopping for some new supplies though. I don't want you to go back to that house. Em, take the money in the jar on the counter and take her out. I'll call Mrs. Cope. Answer your cell when I call. Mrs. Cope might not want to go in today." he said to Emmett.

"Don't worry, dad. I will. You coming Rose?" he asked Rosalie, who was still sitting on the couch.

"Actually, Em, I'm going to go to Alice's and explain that Bella did not die yesterday and that she does not hate her. She thinks Bella will resent her now that she knows everything." Rose shot me an apologetic glance. I felt terrible about my reaction yesterday. I needed to talk to her, face-to-face.

"We'll drop you off on our way." he said. "Do you mind?" he asked me.

"No! Of course not. Would you mind if I stayed and talked to Alice for a minute? I feel horrible about yesterday. I need her to know that I don't hate her." I said, rather desperately.

"Of course, Bells. No problem. We have all afternoon." said Emmett, moving to the door.

Rose and I hopped into the back seat, while Emmett drove. A few minutes later, we pulled up to the Cullen house. Rose jumped lightly out of the car, and waited for me. I needed help to get in and out of Emmett's Jeep because it's so huge. Emmett came over, and placed his hands strategically on my waist, in a way he'd mastered so he didn'thurt my middle. I was still a bit sore. He lifted me down, and placed me on my feet. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I quite literally sprinted up to the front door. I rang the doorbell, waiting impatiently. Rose appeared behind me, waiting. I heard soft footsteps approach the door. It opened slowly, to reveal Edward. He looked shocked at my expression.

"Is Alice here?" I nearly screamed at him.

"Yeah, she's up in her room. Go on up." he said, moving aside quickly, leaving me to run to the stairs. Rose walked behind me, watching me. I waited for her to go up first. I didn't know where Alice's room was. Rose led me up the stairs, and down a few hallways. She stopped at a dark wood door and knocked softly.

"Alice? Alice can we come in?" she asked softly.

"Who?" said a muffled, teary voice from behind the door.

"It's us Alice, me and Rose." I said, hoping she would let us in. I was scared that she was angry with me.

"Bella? Is that you?" said Alice, sounding shocked.

"Of course, silly!" I said, waiting for the OK to enter. "Who else?"

"I don't know." she said. "Come in!" she screamed. I could hear her light steps coming closer to the door. I opened it, and saw a teary Alice moving towards us. She came up to me, completely ignoring Rose and gave me a tight hug. I winced slightly as my midriff protested a bit. She noticed and backed off quickly.

"I'm so sorry Bella! I never meant to hurt you. I just felt that you would understand better than anyone else. I never wanted you to relive your own memories!" she broke down again.

"Alice, I wasn't sad for me yesterday. I was sad for you. I can't believe that man did that to you. I was crying for you. I love you like my sister. It hurt me to hear about your pain." I said, hugging her harder.

"Oh my God! You're not mad at me? I thought when you wouldn't talk on the phone… Oh I love you too Bella!" she said in a rush. She pulled away from me, and looked to Rose. "We love you too, Rose. Don't feel left out!" she cried, dragging me over to hug Rose. We all hugged for a minute, before Alice let go.

"So what are we doing today?" said Alice, returning to her happy self. "I've been so upset, I didn't even get dressed yet!" she said, sounding horrified with herself.

"Actually, Alice, I can't stay. Emmett's bringing me to register for school. He's in the Jeep right now. I just needed to come and make sure you were OK." I said, giving her another hug.

"Aw!" she exclaimed, looking put-out. "Oh well. Come over after you're done, and we'll hang out. That's if you want to?" she asked, looking eager and apprehensive at the same time.

"Of course!" I said, making my way to the door. "Bye guys!" I called, shutting the door.

I walked downstairs, with a smile on my face. I walked down the stairs slowly, not wanting to fall. I stopped at the bottom, feeling happy at all the progress I'd made. Four days ago, simply walking was impossible. I moved back to the front door. Just as I was about to open it, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped up, and squealed in surprise. The hand moved away quickly as I spun around. I turned and saw Edward, backing off, slowly, looking concerned.

"Sorry." he said distractedly. "I didn't mean to startle you. I wanted to ask you something." he said, looking bashful. He looked away, as if he wasn't sure how to say it. "Do you…" he started. He stopped mid-sentence. "Will you…" he started again. "Oh never mind." he said, clearly frustrated with himself. "I'll see you later." he turned abruptly, and walked up the stairs. I stared at him as he walked away, mumbling to himself. I wished he would have asked his question. I couldn't help but feel that it was important.

I walked out of the house, and walked out to Emmett's Jeep. He came out, and helped me into the Jeep. When I was settled in the front, I wondered where exactly we were going.

"So, where are we going first?" I asked him.

"Well, dad called while you were inside. Mrs. Cope is coming in to meet with us at the school. She knows a bit of what happened, so don't mind her. She's a very sympathetic person. She'll try to make you feel welcome. It can get really annoying, but she means well. It's the middle of the semester, so you won't have a lot of options. I would just go along with whatever she offers. You're excused from gym this year too." he said, glancing at me. I was secretly very pleased I wouldn't have to do gym. I hated it.

I suddenly felt anxious. How much did this Cope lady know about me?

"Em, what exactly does she know?" I asked, fear evident in my voice.

"Not too much. Only that you're Chief Swan's daughter that was taken by his ex-wife 8 years ago. You get hurt last week, while driving your old truck in a field. She knows nothing of Phil, or what he did." said Emmett, looking at me. I was thankful for that. I didn't want the while world knowing that I was raped and abused. That was embarrassing.

"OK. Thanks Em." I said quietly. Emmett patted my hand, and continued to drive.

"Em, is there something wrong with Edward?" I asked suddenly, remembering his unasked question. "He wanted to ask me something today, but he seemed distant." I said, remembering his odd behavior. He was always nice and gentlemanly. Never short or distant.

"Oh." said Emmett, frowning. "No, not that I know. I'll talk to him later. Maybe I'm wrong."

"OK." I said. "Don't be too nosy though. I don't want to pry."

"It'll be fine." he said soothingly. "Ed and I are good friends. We tell each other everything."

We pulled into an almost empty parking lot. There were two other cars in the lot. A small blue car, and an old station wagon. Emmett parked the Jeep, and helped me out. Just as he placed me down, we saw a group of girls standing around the small blue car. They were looking at us, and whispering.

"Hey Swan!" a short, dark-haired girl called. "What happened to Blondie?" she said nastily, referring to Rosalie. I felt Emmett tense angrily beside me. "If you're into dark hair," said the same girl, looking at me, sneering, "You should come and visit me some time. I'd just _love_ to have you over for a sleepover, Emmy-pooh." The girl wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and giggled to her friends. Emmett's arm tightened around me as he led me quickly over to the girls. They all stopped giggling to gawk at Emmett's massive, built form as we approached. A few shied away when they saw his angry expression.

"Good afternoon, Jessica." he said brusquely to the girl who had flirted with him. "I'd like to introduce you to someone." his arm tightened protectively around me. "This is Bella. I love her very much, you know. She is very dear to me." Jessica turned to gawk at me. Apparently Emmett didn't show emotions very often to others. "Could you possibly imagine why that is, Jessica?" said Emmett in mock-wonderment.

The girl called Jessica turned and looked me over. She gave me a very nasty look, before turning back to Emmett.

"Not really." she said. I felt myself go red, and Emmett dropped his arm around me.

"Well for your information you stupid little slut," he hissed at her, a scary look on his face. "She's my sister." I heard all the girls gasp, and they all turned to look at me.

"Oh." said Jessica. "Sorry." she turned very red and got into her car. She gave me a different, unpleasant look, almost jealous. It was a blonde girl who spoke next.

"Well," she whispered loudly to me, still looking at Emmett. "Better have your fun while it lasts. I'd _die _to have him as _my _brother." said the girl.

"You are disgusting, Lauren." said Emmett, pulling me away. We walked towards the main office quickly.

"Sorry about that, Bells. They've tried all the tricks they know to get in my pants." he said. "They do it to everyone. Me, Jasper, Edward…" he continued with a long list of boys that they'd seduced until we reached the main office. He opened the door for me, and I walked inside. Emmett led me over to the desk, where a rather large woman was seated. Her nameplate identified her as Mrs. Cope, secretary. She gave Emmett a smile, and smiled a large, sympathetic smile at me. She invited us in, and she sat me down in a very comfortable computer chair. Emmett sat on a small, plastic chair, while she sat behind her desk.

"You must be Isabella." she said, reaching over to shake my hand.

"Just Bella, please." I said, shaking her hand. She smiled at me, and made a note on the papers in front of her.

"OK Bella, what grade are you in?" she asked me.

"Ten." I stated. "I take all advanced level courses though. I was taking junior level biology in Port Angeles." I rambled.

"Excellent." said Mrs. Cope. "We have no openings in Biology II. I was wondering if you were able to Biology III."

The whole meeting revolved mostly around which courses I needed to take. Here, there were 8 courses per day. I ended up with Biology III, English, Algebra II, Personal Finance, Visual Arts, Chemistry II and Journalism. I ended up with a free period, because I couldn't participate in gym.

"Well have a nice day, Bella. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye Emmett!" she called to us as we left.

Emmett drove me to the local stationary store to buy my supplies. I bought pens, pencils and other necessities. We went to the check out, and drove home.

At about 9:30 pm, I went to bed. The rain started, as I fell asleep, into an uneasy slumber.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: R&R please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 11**

School Encounters

**A/N: I tried to fit Bella's first day at Forks High in the last chapter, but it would have been way too long. So, here it is!**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

BPOV

I woke up to someone gently shaking my shoulder. I was so tired. Then I remembered that today was my first day of school. I opened my eyes blearily, seeing Charlie. He smiled at me sympathetically.

"I know it's early, Bells, but you need to get ready. Emmett's already up. I've got to go to work." he kissed my head softly, moving closer to the door. "I'll see you when I get home." he said, walking out. I still felt very tired. I looked over at my alarm clock. 7:48. Wow. I had about 45 minutes to get ready. I got out of bed, and walked over to my closet. I picked out a pair of black skinny jeans and a navy blue v-neck top. I pulled out a pair of sparkly black ballet flats, courtesy of Alice. I brushed my hair, applied a bit of makeup, and went downstairs to meet Emmett.

When I arrived in the kitchen, I was shocked to see that Emmett wasn't alone. Edward Cullen sat at the opposite end of the kitchen table, slowly eating cereal. When I walked in, he turned his head, smiling at me. His eyes met mine, and I felt a thrill of excitement. I looked down, blushing furiously. I moved over to the table and sat down between Edward and Emmett. Emmett wordlessly passed me the Lucky Charms, and some milk. I poured a small amount into a bowl and poured in some milk. Just as I began eating, Edward spoke.

"Um… So Bella," he said cheerfully. "I was wondering if maybe you needed a ride to school? I know how awkward Emmett's Jeep is, and my car is smaller." he said, looking at me eagerly. Emmett looked at us, assessing the situation carefully. He looked at me, confused and at Edward, slightly angry.

"Um," I said feeling like an idiot. "OK. Thanks." I agreed. I hated having to be lifted into Emmett's jeep.

"Great!" he said, looking very smug with himself. Emmett looked like he wanted to laugh at him. Edward waited politely until I was done eating, and led me out to his Volvo, along with my new school bag. He opened the car door for me, and closed it again after. Edward was clearly raised to be a gentleman, like his father. He got into the car, and started the engine. I glanced at the clock again, and saw that it was 8:30. We had 30 minutes before first period.

"So what classes are you taking?" he asked me politely. He never seemed to be rude or abrupt. I felt myself feel even more attracted to him because of it.

"I have English, Algebra II, Personal Finance, Chemistry II, Visual Arts, Journalism and Biology III." I said, reading them all off my schedule. Edward's face lit up at the end, when I mentioned Biology.

"You're advanced in bio?" he asked.

"Yeah. In Port Angeles, I was top of my class." I replied, remembering my old class

"I have biology III too." he stated, smiling a bit. "What period?" he asked.

"Um, period 4, just before lunch." I said, checking my schedule again.

"Me too!" he said, sounding happy.

He smiled at me and I blushed. He chuckled a bit at my reaction. We pulled into the school parking lot, looking around for a spot. He pulled in between two other vehicles. One was clearly Emmett's Jeep, while the other was a very nice red convertible. Edward came over, and opened the door for me. He helped me out, and led me towards the doors. I noticed, as I looked around, we were receiving a lot of jealous, disbelieving stares, from both girls and boys. The girls stared at Edward longingly, and threw me some very nasty glances. The boys were goggling at me, lust very clear in their eyes. I pressed myself further into Edward, wishing the looks would stop. He held my waist firmly, never letting go. They reminded me of Phil and his friends. I looked straight ahead, and walked through the doors. Edward helped me find my assigned locker, and get my things ready. I placed all my binders and pens into my bag. Edward came forward and closed my locker for me. He walked me to my first class, algebra. There was already a large group of people waiting outside. All the heads turned in our direction, to stare at the God-like single male and the new girl, Chief Swan's daughter and Emmett Swan's baby sister. Everyone here knew better than to mess with Emmett. Edward bent over, looking at the crowd and took my hand. He winked slyly at me, as he kissed it gently, his eyes never leaving my face. There was a sharp intake of breath from behind us. Edward pulled me into a gentle hug, and whispered in my ear.

"None of these low lives will harass you now." he said. I felt very thankful. I was wondering what I would do if one of the boys approached me.

"Thanks." I whispered back, giving him a swift kiss on the cheek. He let me go, and I walked over to wait for the teacher. The blonde and brunette I had seen yesterday, Lauren and Jessica were staring at me, anger and disbelief written all over their faces. The blonde one stormed up angrily to me. I felt myself back away as she approached. Before I could react, she was right in my face.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she screeched at me. I cringed at her volume. "Jesus! You have Emmett already and now Edward too?!" she scoffed and turned to the shocked crowd. It seemed that most people were unaware that I was Emmett's sister.

"Um Emmett already told you yesterday that I'm his sister. Edward is nothing more than a friend." I said. I secretly hoped that his intimacy meant more than friendship, but I didn't allow room for such hopes. I heard a small gasp from the crowd at my revelation. One of the bigger boys moved forward slightly.

"You're Isabella right?" he said, moving forward. This boy looked very big and menacing. I felt very scared of him. Before I could respond, the teacher appeared. He was a tall, lanky man with facial hair and glasses. He looked very timid. He looked a bit like a little boy in a man's body. He unlocked the door, and let everyone in. I held back, until the end, hoping to avoid contact with the other students. I walked up to the timid teacher and handed him a green slip to sign. He welcomed me, stuttering a little in fear, and sent me to a desk in the back corner. I was grateful. It would be a lot harder for people to stare at me back here. The lesson passed without incident. The big boy continued to watch me though. It made me very uneasy. I made a mental note to ask Edward or Emmett who he was.

The bell finally rang, and I darted out the door. I had chemistry next. I had no idea where the labs were. I stared at the awkward map Mrs. Cope had given me. I was so absorbed with finding my class, I didn't even notice the big boy from Algebra until I bumped into him. I fell back slightly. He reached out and caught me before I fell. I jerked away violently, causing him to stare incredulously. He grabbed my arm again, as I turned to walk away. He pulled me back. I was really terrified now, and people were giving us some weird glances. The boy pulled me aside, to the lockers.

"Excuse me, I have to go." I said in a rush, my voice wavering. This whole thing was bringing back too many memories.

"What's the rush, babe?" he said, staring at my chest. He reminded me very much of Phil's big friend. I tried to get away, only causing him to pin me there. "We've got all day." he moved his face closer to mine. People were stopping to stare now. I could feel the tears building up as he moved closer to me. He pressed his huge frame against my small one. I felt my almost healed body protest, as one of my ribs made a sickening crack. I felt a rush of stabbing pain. I cried out in pain and tried miserably to push him away.

"Leave me alone." I said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Cullen won't find out if that's what you're worried about." he purred seductively in my ear. I whimpered as he pressed my newly broken rib, and jammed my eyes shut, hoping he would leave. I felt his breathing quicken and I pushed him away harder. He moved even closer, if that was possible. I pushed him harder. I wished Emmett, Edward or Jasper would show up. Hell, even Rose would help. Alice would defend me too. I felt a few tears fall down my face. I felt him press his lips violently to mine. He groaned in pleasure. I heard the crowd whoop. I whimpered in pain at my rib. Suddenly the noise died down and was replaced by gasps of shock. I tried feebly to push him off again, only to feel his weight lifted off me. I opened my eyes slowly, only to see Emmett, Edward and Jasper, all looking pissed. Emmett had the boy by the shirt.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" he screamed loudly. A few of the girls who were watching screamed and backed away from Emmett. All three of them looked ready to kill. I was frozen in shock, pain and fear, tears still streaming down my face. Emmett raised his hand, and balled it into a fist. He was going to punch him. I couldn't let Emmett get in trouble because of me.

"Em, don't." I said quietly. He glanced at me, his eyes softening a bit. He turned back to the boy, his fist raised higher. I was terrified now. I had seen to many people being hit and punched. I sobbed a bit, noticing Edward and Jasper move closer to me. Edward moved up to me and enveloped me in a warm, protective, but painful hug. Jasper stood behind us, rubbing my back and watching Emmett, who was shouting at the kid again. I turned my face and sobbed into Edward's shoulder. I heard a scream and a sickening crack. I squealed a little, knowing that Emmett had punched the boy. I wheeled around, despite my body's protests, forcing Edward to let me go, only to regret doing so almost instantly. The boy was lying on the floor, clutching his face. His nose was crooked, and spouting blood. The sight of the blood made me very dizzy and light headed. Edward and Jasper moved closer to Emmett, whose bloody fist was clenched at his side. I was getting more and more dizzy by the second. I knew I was going to faint any minute now. It was unavoidable. I swayed on the spot, reaching out for the locker for support. Emmett pulled the kid upright again. I felt a wave of nausea as more blood poured from his face.

"Don't you _ever _harass my sister again, do you understand me?" he asked, almost in a hiss.

The kid ignored him, and continued to groan in anguish.

"I said DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" he bellowed, raising his fist again. I saw Edward pull Emmett's fist down, stopping him from hitting the boy again. I saw a shocked and scared Rosalie and Alice appear behind the boy.

"Yes." I heard the boy groan from behind his hand. The boy shot me an angry glance. Emmett, Edward and Jasper looked over at me, following his gaze. Emmett looked at me, and looked panicked. Jasper looked concerned. Edward seemed to be the only one calm enough to function normally. He moved over to me swiftly, and placed a hand on either side of my face. Teachers were swarming around, having heard Emmett's shouting, and the screams of the girls. I could only stare at my brother's bloody fist, and the pool of blood from Tyler's nose.

"Bella, are you OK?" he asked, looking into my eyes, concern written all over his own. I could see Alice and Rose, trying to get closer to me through the crowd

I shook my head, and he looked even more concerned.

"What's wrong? Did he hurt you?" he asked shaking my shoulders slightly. I gasped at the shooting pain through my chest. I nodded weakly, trying to focus on his face. I knew my fainting was imminent. Emmett looked horrified behind Edward, and Jasper was on his cell phone. There were a few teachers helping the boy, a few more screaming at Emmett, who wasn't paying attention, and one other was approaching me. I saw that it was the lanky math teacher, whose name I'd forgotten. He looked very scared when he saw me.

"Bella, what is wrong?" said Edward slowly and clearly, forcing my face to look at him. He glanced behind him, to see who was there. I looked at his unfocussed, worried face, and that of the math teacher behind him.

"Blood." was all I could manage before my knees gave out and blackness overcame me.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: So the point of this chapter was to see Emmett's more protective side. Bella and Edward fell more in love too. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 12**

Anger

**A/N: This chapter is Edwards POV of the school day. It is now evident that Bella likes him, and now we get a little insight into his own feelings. This will go further than the last chapter, explaining what happens when Bella is passed out.**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

EPOV

I pulled up to Bella's house at 7:45. Charlie answered the door, and invited me in. I had been here so many times before, neither Emmett nor Charlie thought anything of it. I entered the kitchen, and Emmett wordlessly passed me a bowl and the box of cereal. I poured myself a bowl and started eating. Charlie came down the stairs, and went out the door. I could hear someone walking around upstairs. He must have woken Bella. Is was glad she still wanted to go to school.

A few minutes later, Bella came downstairs. She looked beautiful, as usual, wearing some black skinny jeans, and a very flattering blue top and some sparkly shoes that hinted subtly at Alice. I loved that colour on her. I smiled as she came down the stairs. When she met my eyes, her face turned a lovely shade of crimson and she looked away quickly. She sat between Emmett and I, and poured herself a bit of cereal. I waited until she was eating before I spoke.

"Um… So, Bella." I said trying to make the conversation light. "I was wondering if maybe you needed a ride to school? I know how awkward Emmett's Jeep is, and my car's smaller." I said, explaining myself. I caught Emmett's gaze. He was giving me a "You-hurt-her-and-I-will-kill-you" look. I turned back to Bella who was fumbling over her words.

"Um," she said, clearly flustered. "OK. Thanks." YES! She agreed!

"Great!" I exclaimed, very smug and happy that she agreed to ride with me. Emmett looked on the verge of laughter as he looked between his beautiful blushing sister, and me. I took her new bag, and led her out to my Volvo. I opened the door for her, as my father taught me to do years ago. She blushed a bit at this courtesy. I got in the driver's seat, and started the engine. It was 8:30. Thirty minutes of time alone with her.

"So what classes are you taking?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

She reached into her bag and pulled out her schedule. I was secretly hoping that even though she was a year behind me, that we might have some classes together.

"I have English, Algebra II, Personal Finance, Chemistry II, Visual Arts, Journalism and Biology III." she said. I felt a jolt of excitement when she mentioned Biology III. I had that course too.

"You're advanced in bio?" I asked.

"Yeah. In Port Angeles, I was top of my class." she said, reminiscing about her old life.

"I have biology III too." I said, hoping she would hear my hopefulness. "What period?" I asked, hoping she said fourth. I was the only available lab partner in that class. I was becoming more and more excited about the thought of her as a lab partner.

"Um, period four, just before lunch." she said, looking to her schedule again.

I was happy now. "Me too!" I exclaimed. I smiled at her, and she blushed again. I chuckled a bit at her reaction. I loved her blush.

I pulled into the school parking lot, between Emmett's Jeep and Rose's red convertible. Em, Jasper, Rose and Alice seemed to be inside already. I walked to the other side of my car, and opened Bella's door. I helped her out, and led her towards the doors. We were receiving a lot of nasty stares and glares from the rest of the student population. Girls looked at me longingly, and shot her dirty looks. The boys looked at her, gawking openly at her beauty. I felt murderous towards half of them. How dare they look at her like that! Bella seemed to notice these looks, and she pressed herself closer to me. I placed a hand on her waist, holding her firmly. She was very quiet ass we walked through the front doors. I helped her find her locker, which was very close to mine. She got her things, and I closed her locker for her. I walked her to her algebra class, hoping that most of the boys would see us together and take the hint. We got outside the class, and all the heads turned to stare at the dark haired beauty and the mysterious Cullen boy. I turned away from them and took her small hand in mine. She watched me carefully. I winked at her, letting her know that this meant nothing. Oh how I wish it did! I would have loved to kiss her, but now was not the time. Everyone gasped as I kissed her hand gently, and pulled her into a warm hug. It was well-known around the school that I didn't date. I could feel her blushing, so I whispered in her ear.

"None of these low lives will harass you now." I said, knowing that she would be like a shiny new toy in the kindergarten room to them.

"Thanks." she said quietly. She got up on her tip toes and kissed my cheek. I felt a rush of blood where her soft lips had touched me. I let her go, and walked away, to my own class. I arrived in English just as the teacher was opening the door. We were starting Shakespeare today, Romeo and Juliet. I hated that play. I went over to my seat between Alice and Jasper. We all listened to the lesson, very bored. The bell rang, and I suddenly felt a strong urge to find Bella. I knew she was a danger magnet, even at school. Alice kissed Jasper swiftly, and went to find Rose. Jasper and I walked towards my locker. On the way, we found Emmett and Rose making out at Em's locker. I cleared my throat, and they pulled away.

"Alice is looking for you, Rose." I said. Emmett looked slightly disappointed as she walked away. He decided to follow us to my locker. He had a free period next. I could tell there was something big going on as I turned down the hallway. There was a large group of kids surrounding what seemed to be that thug, Tyler Crowley. He was kissing someone, violently. I could see a pair of small arms struggling under him. I heard a small whimper. I looked up to Emmett, who looked shocked. Jasper looked disgusted. Crowley moved a bit, and that's when I saw it. He didn't have just _anyone_ pinned to the lockers. It was Bella. Emmett let out a low growl of fury. The crowd whipped around, and a few people gasped as Emmett stormed over, us flanking him. No one had ever seen Emmett lose control. He was like a gentle giant, though people were still scared of him. He violently grabbed Tyler's shirt and pulled him off Bella. I saw her open her eyes, and freeze in shock. She was holding her right side, and winced in pain when she moved. He'd hurt her.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" boomed Emmett loudly. A few of the onlookers cringed away from Emmett. Crowley looked terrified. Emmett raised his balled fist, ready to strike. Just before he released, we heard a small voice from beside us.

"Em, please don't." Bella was looking fearfully at Emmett. He glanced at her, his eyes softening for a minute. They hardened again as he turned back to Tyler. I heard a small sob, and turned to see that Bella was crying. Jasper and I noticed her discomfort and moved over to her. I enveloped her in a protective hug, feeling very sorry for her. She sobbed into my shoulder, and Jasper rubbed her back calmly, staring at Emmett. Em was screaming at Tyler again. He raised his fist, and punched Tyler square in the nose. He flew backwards with a scream, blood pouring out of his nose. I heard Bella squeal in my shoulder, and she whipped around, forcing me to let her go. She grabbed the locker in shock, as Jasper and I moved closer to Emmett. I was slightly worried that Emmett had lost control. Emmett grabbed Crowley by the shirt, and yanked him bodily to his feet. More blood spouted from his face.

"Don't you _ever _harass my sister again, do you understand me?" he hissed at him. Tyler didn't answer, he just groaned and held his nose.

"I said, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" he bellowed, raising his fist again. I grabbed it, and pulled it down, preventing him from punching Tyler again. Teachers were already starting to swarm. I saw Alice and Rose appear behind Tyler, looking very scared.

"Yes." Tyler groaned. He shot a dirty glance towards the lockers. Emmett, Jasper and I followed his gaze, to find out what had earned such a nasty glance. He was looking at Bella. I immediately became concerned. She was swaying slightly, staring wide-eyed at Emmett's bloody fist, and the puddle of blood on the floor. I went over and placed a hand on either side of her face.

"Bella, are you OK?" I asked, concerned. She looked like she was going to pass out. I could hear Alice and Rose calling Bella from behind me, trying to get through the crowd. Bella looked at me swiftly and shook her head, no. I felt a surge of panic. Usually people said yes. There was something really wrong.

"What's wrong? Did he hurt you?" I asked, becoming angrier. I shook her shoulders slightly, to prompt a response. She gasped in pain, and I stopped immediately. She was trying to focus on my face, but was failing. I could hear Jasper talking to who sounded like Chief Swan on his phone. Emmett was being screamed at by some teachers, but was paying them no attention. I could feel someone else approaching me. I turned swiftly, and saw Bella's algebra teacher standing behind us. He looked helpless and scared.

"Bella, what is wrong?" I said slowly and clearly, turning her face towards me. Her eyes were distant and unfocussed as she tried to look at me. I became a little scared as she failed to focus her eyes.

"Blood." was all she said before her knees buckled and she fainted dead away. I caught her before she hit the ground. People here panicking now, not knowing what happened. Tyler had left for the hospital with a friend, and all the teachers were sending the students back to class. The math teacher, and my English teacher came rushing up to me, and Bella's limp form in my arms. Alice and Rose were close behind, looking worried.

"What happened?" said the math teacher, sounding both angry and concerned.

"Crowley cornered Bella after math, and sexually harassed her. Her brother, Emmett pulled him off. She saw the blood, and passed out. I think she may have re-broken one of her ribs. She was clutching it." the teachers just stared at me, shocked. I placed Bella gently on the floor. Emmett and Jasper came rushing over. Emmett had tears in his eyes and Jasper looked madder than I'd ever seen him. He was usually so calm. I lifted Bella's shirt slowly, and moved to her right side. There was a new, large purple bruise there, and the rib looked deformed. I heard my English teacher gasp and back away. The math teacher moved away a little, clearly unsure what to do.

"Should we call an ambulance?" he said, glancing at his co-worker.

"Oh, that won't be necessary. Your dad's coming, Em. I called him. So is Carlisle. He's a doctor" said Jasper, never looking away from Bella's unconscious form. The teachers nodded, and waited with us. A minute later, two people came flying down the hall. Charlie was in his police uniform, and Carlisle in his hospital scrubs. Charlie went straight to Bella. Seeing that she was unconscious, he turned to Emmett, demanding to know what happened. Emmett started explaining as my father moved over to Bella. He lifted her shirt and looked at her rib.

"Yeah. It's broken." he said, sounding disappointed. "It was weaker then the others. I was the worst one. Well, let's get her home. I'll need to patch this up, and watch her until she wakes up." I reached down and scooped her up gently, to walk out to the car. Charlie didn't seem the slightest bit angry with Emmett. He looked at him proudly. I cradled Bella gently, as we walked out. When we turned the corner, almost the entire student body was watching. There were a few gasps and some girls were crying. Emmett stood behind me, following me like a bodyguard. We walked out, and I laid her in the back of Carlisle's Mercedes. I got in the back with her, and tossed Alice the keys to my Volvo. She caught them, and went to get in. Emmett and Jasper took the Jeep and Rose took her convertible. Carlisle started up the engine, to take her home, just as Bella began to stir.

"Dad, she's waking up." I said, looking down at my sleeping beauty.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: R&R. Thanks.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 13**

Worry

**A/N: Here's chapter 13! Emmett feels horrible for making Bella faint, and she is very scared and confused. ExB fluff! **

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

BPOV

I felt myself vibrating. I was moving and I slowly realized that I was in a car. I tried to remember what had happened to get me here. Suddenly, I realized that I didn't remember getting in a car. I remember being cornered by that big boy. He kissed me, and my ribs hurt. Emmett came, and punched the kid and broke his nose. Edward came over to me, and I passed out. Now I'm in a car.

"Dad, she's waking up." I heard Edward's voice from above me. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Edwards concerned face was looking down at me, relieved when my eyes focussed on him.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" asked a voice from the front seat. I looked over and saw Carlisle behind the wheel. He was watching me from his mirror, looking concerned. "Are you hurt?" he asked

I moved slightly, to assess my pain level. Besides a dull ache in my ribs, and a small headache, I felt fine.

"My rib hurts a bit and I have a headache. I replied. Carlisle looked relieved at my response. He turned his eyes back to the road.

"Edward, where are we going?" I asked, confused. We weren't going the right way to Charlie's.

"We're going to my place. Dad wants to look you over." he said sadly. "You might have re-broken a rib, so don't move around too much." he played idly in my hair, as we drove. I felt embarrassed and ashamed at what had happened earlier. I had probably got Emmett in trouble. He broke that kids nose! I felt the tears spring to my eyes. Edward noticed and made soothing noises. We arrived at the Cullen's house before everyone else. Carlisle came around, and lifted me out of the car. I felt dizzy and useless. I was causing everyone so much trouble! He handed me back to Edward after he was out of the car. I felt comfortable in his arms, like I was made for them. I fit perfectly. I leaned my head against him, feeling slightly nauseous with the jostling. Carlisle opened the door, and led us into the living room. Edward placed me on the couch, and sat on the floor at my head. Carlisle shut the door and came over to me. I heard some running water stop, and footsteps approaching. The footsteps got louder, and a moment later Esme appeared in the doorway.

"Carlisle, what are you doing ho… OH MY GOODNESS! What happened?" she asked looking at me. I felt myself blush and I groaned and turned my head, embarrassed into Edward's chest. She came over to me, and replaced Edward. I looked up at her worried face, tears falling down my face.

"Shh, honey, shh. What happened? Are you hurt?" she asked in a motherly tone.

I felt myself blush and I leaned closer to her. My rib throbbed when I rolled, but I ignored it. She patted my head, and soothed me.

"Ask Edward. He'll tell you." I said into her shoulder.

"OK." she said, turning expectantly to Edward. He explained everything briefly, as Esme continued to hug me. Edward finished the story, and she turned back to me.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart." she said sadly. "I'm sure you're sore, tired and hungry. I'll go make you something to eat, while Carlisle checks you over. After that you can go to sleep." she said. She kissed my tearstained cheek, and bustled over to the kitchen. Just after she left, the front door opened to reveal Charlie, Rose, Alice and Jasper. Alice and Rose came over and hugged me gently.

"Oh my God, Bella." said Rose breathlessly. "We were so worried. Tyler is such an asshole."

Tyler. That was the boy's name. I hugged Rose back until she was yanked back harshly by Alice.

"My turn, Rose." she said, smiling a bit. Rose giggled and moved away to let Alice through.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. We should have been there. Tyler was bound to try something on you. He does it with all the girls." she said. "What happened though?" she asked, looking around the room. I cried a bit harder as the memories came flooding back. I felt myself becoming nauseous at the memory of the blood. There was so much of it. I knew I was about to get sick. From my previous stay with the Cullen's I had learned very quickly where the bathroom was. I jumped off the couch, crying harder as my rib throbbed painfully, and sprinted to the bathroom. I made it just in time to throw up in the toilet. It was quite noisy and disgusting. I heard the door open, and someone came and held my hair back. I looked up and saw Edward.

"Go away." I said brushing him off. I was embarrassed. "You don't need to see this." I said. He smiled sadly.

"Not a chance." he said. "I'll always be here for you Bella." he said looking at me carefully.

I stood up and turned to him, shocked. I felt shocked at his revelation. Was this his way of saying he likes me? I stared at him shocked. He looked concerned and moved closer to me.

"Bella? Are you OK?" he placed his hand on my back, ready to catch me if I fell.

"Did you really mean that?" I asked him breathlessly. "You'll always be here?"

"Of course," he said moving closer to me. "Bella, I need to tell you something." he said, looking deeply into my eyes. I watched him carefully. "Bella, you're very special to me. Don't be mad at me if I tell you this, but you need to know. I'll understand if you don't feel the same way. I love you, Isabella Swan. I've loved you since the day you came here last week." he looked at me, caringly, assessing my reaction. I'll I could do was stare. Edward Cullen, a Greek God in the flesh, loved me, a plain and simple abuse victim. I gaped at him, and saw his face fall slightly.

"I'm sorry." he said turning away, embarrassed. "I should have kept my mouth shut. I'll go now." he said. He turned to leave. I could feel my heart ripping in two as I stood there, watching him leave.

"NO!" I yelled, a little too loudly. He turned to me, astonished. "Please don't leave me. I love you too." I said, staring at him wild-eyed. He looked very happy at my revelation. He came to me, and hugged me softly. I buried my face in his neck. "I love you, Edward Cullen." I mumbled.

We stood like that for a long time. I breathed in his scent, and he held me carefully. I could feel myself getting more and more sore and tired as we stood there, but I didn't care. We were jolted out of our embrace by a sharp knock on the door.

"Bella? Are you OK in there, honey?" it was Esme's voice. She sounded concerned.

"Yeah. Just tired." I called back to her. Edward looked at me seriously, and helped me over to the door. I opened it, and yawned loudly. He chuckled a bit, and scooped me up. I would have protested, but I was so tired. He scooped me up, bridal style, and asked Esme to open the door. I leaned my head against Edward, as the door opened. I could feel myself drifting off to sleep in his arms. Just as I was almost sleeping, he shook me a little bit. I looked up at him, annoyed.

"Not yet." he said, planting a small kiss on my forehead. "Carlisle wants to take a look at you. And you have to eat." I sighed in defeat, as he carried me to the living room. Everyone was watching me again. Edward placed me next to Charlie who placed an arm around me, then went out to park the Volvo and Mercedes. I leaned into dad, falling asleep again. Charlie poked me awake, as Esme came in with a tray of food. She placed it in front of me. She had made sandwiches, soup and cut up some fresh fruit and vegetables. I thanked her, as she went to sit down beside Carlisle. I ate a little bit of everything, before I was full. My rib really hurt now, and I wanted to sleep. It was then that I noticed Emmett was missing.

"Dad, where's Emmett?" I asked, hoping I didn't get him in trouble. Dad looked down at me sadly.

"He's at home, honey. He feels terrible about not being there on time, and making you faint. He wasn't sure if you'd want to see him." he said.

I felt tears falling down again. Emmett thought I was mad at him. I was causing him so much pain. I leaned into my father's shoulder, sobbing quietly. It hurt my rib badly, but I really didn't care. I wanted Emmett here. He was my big brother and I loved him. Charlie wrapped an arm around me, trying to soothe me.

"Are you OK Bella?" he asked looking panicked. Charlie never liked the waterworks very much. He wasn't one for expressing emotions.

"I-I-I h-h-hurt h-h-him a-a-ag-g-ain!" I wailed. Dad looked very shocked at my sudden hysteria. He looked around the room, clearly wanting help. I felt the couch sink down beside me, and Rose's voice spoke quietly. I turned, leaning on her instead.

"Don't cry anymore, Bella." she said, rubbing my back. "Let Carlisle check you, then I'll take you home, and you can talk to Emmett. He'll come around. He hates seeing you hurt." she said. I nodded into her shoulder, and sat up. Carlisle was looking at me from across the room. He nodded at me, and came over to investigate the damage done. My rib was fractured, but that was it. He taped it up quickly, and told me not to do anything that might put it out of alignment. Walking was out. I nodded meekly, and thanked him as we left. Rose came forward, followed by Alice and Jasper. Alice hugged me lightly, and went upstairs. Rose went to start her car. Jasper scooped me up gently from the couch and carried me out. Charlie followed and got into his police cruiser.

"You'll help her home, Rose?" he asked, looking at me. I knew he had to get back to work.

"Of course, Charlie." she said, giving me a kind look. I smiled at her, and Jasper carried me to her car. I was still a little bit awkward with Jasper, even though I thought of him like a brother. He was more thoughtful and distant than Emmett. Emmett was all about hugs and affection. Jasper was more reserved, quiet and sensitive. I could tell he treated me the same way he treated Rose. Protective and kind. He placed me in the front seat, while moving to the back to get in himself. We drove slowly to my house, completely silent on the way. When we pulled up, I saw Emmett's Jeep in the driveway. Jasper carried me into the house, and up the stairs. He brought me up to Emmett's room. I realized that I'd never been in here since I'd come back. Rose moved ahead of us, and knocked. There was no reply. She knocked again, and waited some more. I could hear faint sniffles and shallow breaths. Emmett was crying. I felt tears spring into my own, tired eyes, and fall over. Jasper seemed to feel a little awkward, with me and Emmett crying. He handed me gently to Rose, and said he'd wait downstairs. After Jasper was gone, we heard a faint noise.

"Rose is that you?" asked a husky, muffled voice.

"Yes, it's me. And Bella." she answered. I heard a something make a loud bang, and the door shot open. Emmett stood there, red-eyed crying. He brushed away his tears and looked at me. His face fell as he saw my tears. He groaned and turned away, leaving the door open for us. His room was a mess. There were clothes and food wrappers scattered all over. Usually I would have been disgusted, but right now I didn't care. Emmett sat on the bed, and Rose placed me on Emmett's computer chair. She gave me a hug, and kissed Emmett lightly, before walking out, shutting the door behind her. I was still crying silently, watching Emmett watch me. He looked devastated and pained.

"I'm sorry Bella. I never meant to hurt you. I just lost control." He said all of this, looking down, fiddling with the corner of his bedspread. I felt new tears fall over as he apologized. I didn't want him to hate me. I loved him unconditionally. I knew he only punched Tyler to protect me. I realized that Emmett was looking at me, waiting for a reply. He looked sad, and hopeful at the same time. "Please don't hate me Bella. I just got you back." he added desperately. The look on his face made me fall apart.

"Emmett. I. Could. Never. Hate. You!" I said between my sobs. "I. Love. You. Em." I said. His face lit up when I said this, his tears stopping instantly. I was glad he was happier, but I couldn't bring myself to stop crying. I looked up at him, seeing his expression. He looked relieved and happy. "Emmy…." I said, sobbing again after. I put my arms out to him, and he was there in an instant. He carried me carefully and laid me on his bed. He laid down beside me, and rubbed my back.

"Thank you, Bells." he said. "I don't think I could have lived with myself if you hated me." he said to me.

"I could never, _ever_ hate you, Em. You're my big brother." I said simply. I felt his arms tighten around me carefully, so as not to hurt my rib. I snuggled closer to him, feeling very safe and warm. Soon enough, we both fell into a deep sleep, until we woke up the next morning.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: R&R. ****à**


	14. Chapter 14

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 14**

News

**A/N: A few days later, Bella is allowed to go back to school. Her rib is much better. No charges were pressed on either Tyler for sexual harassment or Emmett for assault.**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

BPOV

A week had passed since the Tyler incident. Both Emmett and Tyler received a 3-day suspension, and I stayed home with Emmett, recovering. He was very kind and considerate to me. My new boyfriend, Edward came over every day after school. Emmett was upset at first, claiming that I was in no position for a relationship, but he backed off when he saw how much Edward meant to me. I was glad that he let it go. Today, I was going to school again, much against Charlie's wishes. I had attended my classes on Thursday and Friday. Charlie was very concerned about what could happen. He appointed Emmett my personal body guard. He, Jasper or Edward escorted me to and from all of my classes. I felt silly to agree to that, but I did since it seemed to make him happy. I also now carried a can of pepper spray in my bag, per Charlie's request. At least that was hidden. Everything had gone smoothly at school, despite a few odd glances on the first day, when I walked in with, with Emmett and Jasper flanking me. I felt like a murder target or something.

I was recovering very well, both physically and mentally. I was almost able to make light conversation with some other kids at school, without feeling threatened, as long as they avoided the sensitive topics. Most people seemed to regard me as either weird or delicate. The boys never glanced twice at me anymore, knowing that Emmett, Edward and maybe even Jasper would beat them up. Jessica and Lauren ignored me completely. I didn't mind. Overall, I enjoyed the challenges and stability school brought into my life. Alice, Rose and I were nearly inseparable. We were always together. The boys were usually there too, watching for suspicious people and talking together. Edward and I had gone public now, so everyone knew we were together. He enjoyed flaunting our relationship a little. He was proud.

At school, my favorite class was journalism. We did a lot of writing and reading. Sometimes, the teacher would have us write our own newspaper articles, or we would analyze and respond to articles in the daily paper. Tomorrow, which was Monday; we were watching the local news and analyzing it that way. It would be a challenge to keep up with everything the reporter said. We were supposed to take notes, and prepare to make our own news broadcast. I wasn't too excited about appearing on film, but I really enjoyed writing scripts and articles. I was going to find a volunteer to be my reporter, Emmett maybe, then I wouldn't have to appear on screen. I fell asleep pondering this project on Sunday night.

*-*-*-*-*

I woke up feeling refreshed and excited on Monday morning. I got dressed quickly, and went down for breakfast. Emmett, Edward, Rose, Jasper and Alice were there, talking. They all greeted me when I came in. I moved over to the counter and poured myself a bowl of cereal. I ate quickly, and washed my bowl. I went over to the table, to see what everyone was talking about. Edward pulled out his chair, and patted his lap. I giggled and went over and perched myself on his knee. He pulled me closer and kissed my cheek.

"You smell nice." he blurted out, loudly. Everyone stopped eating and looked at him. I blushed and giggled. It was weird that Edward and I were so close and open. We'd never really even had a serious conversation. We had more of an unspoken relationship. We've known each other for a long time, almost since birth.

"Um, thanks?" I said, looking at him weirdly.

"Yeah. Like strawberries." He said, sniffing my hair again. I blushed even more and looked away.

"So." I said, looking at everyone else. They were all looking at us with amused expressions.

"It's time to go, guys." said Emmett, looking a little flustered. He glanced quickly at Edward and me again, still looking amused. I was happy he approved of us. I loved both of them.

I hopped off Edward's knee and walked to the door. I put on my jacket and my rain boots. I was actually feeling happy today, something I hadn't felt in a while. I saw Emmett looking pleased and proud as he watched me, smiling. I could tell he was glad to see me content and smiling again.

I rode to school with Edward. We decided to talk a little about ourselves on the way, something we had avoided in the past, because of previous incidents. We decided to play a sort of 20 questions with each other. He let me ask the first question.

"What's your favorite color?" I asked him, not knowing what else to ask. I felt awkward invading his privacy like this. I wasn't used to friendly conversation.

"Blue." He said. "It's my favorite color on you." I blushed a bit and turned around, waiting for his question.

"Who is your favorite musician?" he asked, looking at me carefully.

"Claude Debussy." I replied instantly, feeling embarrassed at my musical choice. Most teens were into the screaming, unintelligible type of music. "I like Clair De Lune." Edward smiled and reached over and pressed a dashboard button. I heard his speakers turn on, and the CD was spinning. A moment later, Clair De Lune was playing softly through the speakers. I gasped in shock at his music. I had pinned him for a rock and roll person.

"Me too." He said, smiling at me.

The questions went on for a few more minutes. I learned a lot more about him. It was my turn to ask a question now, and I was stumped. I tried to think of something that I wanted to know about Edward. I had one question that I had been pondering the whole time. It was kind of embarrassing and a little intrusive in my opinion. I decided to risk it. I really wanted to know.

"Edward, do you mind if I ask you a more serious question?" I asked looking at him carefully. He seemed unmoved by my request.

"Anything you want, love." He said kindly. "We're together now and I don't want us to feel lied to or awkward. Whatever you want to know, just ask. I'll answer honestly, I promise."

"It might be a little intrusive." I said. I wanted him to answer me willingly, not out of a silly promise.

"It's OK, I'll answer." He looked a little confused now, as if wondering what I could possibly ask him. I took a deep breath before I answered.

"Have you…" I started, unsure how to phrase it. "Have you ever…" I sighed, frustrated at my embarrassment and lack of words.

"Have I ever what, love?" he prompted. I saw him look at me inquisitively.

"Are you a virgin?" I blurted out. I felt my face turn scarlet as I looked at him. He looked a little shocked and ashamed. He turned a light shade of pink before he answered me.

"Um, yes." He said, looking away.

"OK." I said quickly, wishing I had never brought it up. He seemed to sense my embarrassment.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Bella." He said, looking over at me. "I am your boyfriend and you have a right to know my experience and limits."

"Thanks for answering honestly." I said, looking at him again. He seemed very calm. "I was just curious."

"Of course, love." He said in a soothing tone, dropping the subject. He asked me a few more questions before we arrived at school. When we pulled in, I hopped out excitedly. Rose, Alice and I went to my locker and collected my books for class. The bell rang, and I went over to my algebra class. Luckily, Tyler had been switched out of all my classes. I was very thankful. My first four classes passed without incident. My teachers knew now that I was very shy, and only called on me once in a while. I had biology with Edward before lunch. We were both very talented in this area, so we made good lab partners. The teachers usually split up students that were in a relationship together, but they noticed how relaxed and comfortable I was with him. They left us alone.

Lunch was a little more eventful than the rest of my day. Emmett "accidentally" spilled a can of Sprite on Jessica Stanley, who happened to be passing our table, making suggestive glances at Edward. He was sent to the principal's office and came back with a detention slip. We all roared with laughter at the look on his face when he came back in. It was a priceless, Kodak moment.

"Jesus!" he said angrily, sitting down. "This is the third one this month! I told him it was an accident but…" he left his sentence trailing.

After lunch, I had my personal finance class. This was the most boring class ever created. It was all about debt and banking. I knew I should pay attention, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Luckily, the teacher never called on me to answer.

Art was a bit more fun. The teacher was almost always gone, so we did whatever we wanted. I spent the time starting on my news broadcast for next class. I was very excited to start on it. When I was little, and lived in Port Angeles, I would always pretend to be a reporter for my mom. We would take boxes and build make shift televisions. I would make up little news stories and get behind the box, and play "news". My mom would applaud and gasp theatrically at the right moments, making the game very fun.

By the time the bell rang, I had a good start on my report. I began brainstorming ideas for my story, using real people and locations. I would perform a real interview on a real topic. Not like some people who had actors and scripts. I knew the teacher wanted real news. I gathered my things and went to my journalism class. As soon as I sat down, I pulled out my papers. I didn't even notice as the teacher pushed in a large TV. She plugged it in, and turned to us.

"Good afternoon, class." She began, startling me. I looked up from my papers, and listened to her.

"I taped the news this morning for us to watch here. I was too busy to watch it first, so it's a surprise for me too! We'll only watch the first few stories though, so you can start on your own broadcasts." she went over and turned on the TV. She put a VHS into an ancient VCR and turned out the lights. She turned in the television, and the entire class watched. A blonde woman in a business suit came on.

"Good Morning, Washington." She said somberly. "Today we have some breaking news. In a small town on the Olympic Peninsula, we go now to Port Angeles." I saw some students sit up more at the mention of our neighboring town. Nothing ever happened around here. I paid careful attention as she continued.

"This morning, at 6:00 am, a body was found in a residential home. The body was identified as one Renee Dwyer, a local businesswoman. We go now to Bob Smith, in Port Angeles."

Her words pierced me like a knife. I gasped loudly, feeling shocked. Surely I had heard her wrong. Not my mom. She was away. I felt myself start to hyperventilate as the reporter from Port Angeles came up. He was standing outside my old house, which was now encased in police cars and crime tape. I saw a large van with the word "HOMICIDE" written on the side. My stomach lurched violently. Tears started in my eyes, and fell over. I gasped again, trying to compose myself. I didn't want another scene in the classroom. I saw a few heads turn in my direction. One girl, I think her name was Angela, looked scared.

"The body of 34 year old Renee Dwyer was found at this residence early this morning." Said the man, gesturing at the house. I was crying now, terrified of what he would say next. "She was found by her neighbor who had reported hearing shouting earlier this morning. It appears Mrs. Dwyer had returned early from a business trip in Los Angeles for unknown reasons, and was attacked with a knife. No family had been found or contacted. Police released the name, hoping to hear from her family." A snap shot of my mother at her last birthday appeared on the screen, along with a hotline number. The blonde reporter came back on, listing the details for the hotline number. I was gawking, wide-eyed at the screen as she continued.

"Police are looking for Renee Dwyer's husband, Phil Dwyer in relation to the murder. If you have any information, please call the number below." A picture of Phil appeared on the screen, alongside the hotline. I gasped louder than ever as the memories flooded back. I looked around to see grim faces all around me. I sobbed silently in my seat. I was terrified. Phil had murdered my mother. He was still here. The police were looking for him. He would find me. I gasped for breath a few times, trying to gain control of myself. I looked over at the girl named Angela, and saw her still staring at me, completely ignoring the next story. I saw her turn to the teacher.

"Um, Miss?" she called out over the video. "I think there's something wrong with Bella." She said, looking at me carefully. I saw a few heads turn to look at me, becoming alarmed. The lights came back on and the teacher was staring at me.

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, looking shocked. "What's wrong?" I couldn't speak coherently, so I just pointed to the television. Everyone's eyes widened a bit.

"Did you know her?" said the teacher, looking concerned. I nodded. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't know! I'm so sorry for your loss." She said awkwardly. I burst into hysterical tears and slid to the floor. I felt movement around me, and the teacher came rushing over. The students had no idea how to react. I wished Emmett or Edward was here.

"Oh, dear. Angela, please go fetch the nurse." Said the teacher worriedly. Angela ran out of the room quickly. "Is there anything I can do dear?" she asked kindly. Emmett. He was here somewhere. I needed Emmett.

"Emmett." I choked out between my sobs. The teacher stood up quickly and walked out. I sat sobbing on the floor. Mom was dead. Phil had murdered her. I saw some violent images pass though my mind of what could have happened last night. I felt sick just thinking about it. I cried harder, if that was possible, making a lot of noise. I heard someone walk in. I didn't even care anymore. My mother was dead. I heard some footsteps running towards me, and a pair of strong arms lifted me to my feet. I looked up and saw Emmett there. The whole class was watching us now, clearly unsure what to do. Emmett scrutinized my face carefully before speaking.

"Shh. What happened, Bells? Your teacher said something about a news broadcast." He held me close, and I clung to him.

I had to tell him. She was his mom too. He had a right to know.

"She's dead." I said, breaking down again. Emmett stiffened and looked more concerned. He looked at the teacher for answers, only to get a baffled, confused look back.

"Who's dead, Bella?" he asked, panicking. I knew he was scared. I felt the whole class perk up, trying to hear who the woman on the TV was to me.

"Mom." I said quietly. There was a lot of gasping from my fellow classmates, and the teacher. Emmett stiffened and pulled me back. He looked pained and devastated.

"Mom. Is. Dead?" he said slowly, looking at me. I nodded and clung harder to him. He crushed me to himself, tears falling down his face. The class looked both scared and sad. Emmett had never cried at school before. I heard the bell ring, signaling the end of class. Just then, Angela came in with the school nurse. She came over to me, concern written all over her face. Emmett gave her a lethal glare and she backed off. Emmett wordlessly led me out of the room, leaving the stunned staff and students behind. We got a lot of weird stares as we passed. I was still sobbing, and Emmett had tears in his eyes. He was whispering things to me that I couldn't hear. I knew we were going home. On our way out, we passed Alice and Rose. They looked shocked and scared as we passed them. Alice came forward and hugged me. Emmett let me go and I fell into her, sobbing again. Emmett walked into Rose's open arms. I heard them talking in low, hushed voices. The only thing I heard was Rose's scream.

"OH MY GOD!" she shrieked, looking at me pitifully. Alice looked at her inquisitively, wondering what was happening. She turned her attention back to me.

"What's going on, Bella?" she asked softly. "Do you want to go home?"

"Where's Edward and Jasper?" I asked, noticing their absence for the first time.

"They have two free periods at the end of the day. They usually go home, and come back later to pick us up." She explained.

"Can you take me there?" I asked her. She nodded wordlessly, still looking at me, baffled.

"Sure, Bells, but please tell me what's happening." She said. I cried a bit harder. "Did someone hurt you again?" she asked, looking murderous. I shook my head quickly, before she could murder any innocent bystanders.

"My mom…" I said, trailing off, crying. "She's dead." I whispered the last word. Alice's face fell, and tears came into her own eyes. She hugged me harder, and let me cry. Rose came over, with Emmett and gave me a hug too. Emmett hugged me again and said he'd be right back. We waited for him, and a few minutes later, he came back with the VHS from class. I cried harder and looked away from it. He stowed it in his bag carefully.

"Em, Rose, do you guys want to come over to my place? Mom will have food. We'll call Charlie at work, and you two won't be alone." Asked Alice. Em nodded quickly, looking thankful. I could tell he wanted someone to talk to, and I was not the best candidate right now. Emmett pulled me into his side and led me outside. He pulled me over to Alice's Porsche, and put me in. He moved over to Rosalie's red convertible and hopped in. Alice started the engine, and sped off towards her house.

**A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed and gave tips! Poor Bella! I'm not being very nice to her in this story. Oh Well. :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 15**

Discoveries 

**A/N: Enjoy!**

BPOV

The ride to the Cullen's was fast and quiet. I sobbed the whole way there, and was inconsolable. Alice looked worried as we pulled in. Rose and Emmett pulled in right behind us. Alice got out of the car, and came over to me. I could not even bring myself to get out of the car. She opened the door for me, and waited for me to get out. I sat, hunched over with my head in my hands. She realized that I wasn't moving anytime soon, so she sent Emmett and Rose in without us. She came and sat on the ground in front of me. I looked at her sadly, and noticed she was crying too.

"Alice! Oh my God. Please don't cry!" I wailed desperately at her. I hated seeing her upset. She was like a sister to me.

"I can't help it, Bella." She said sadly. "You've been through so much. It's really not fair at all. I just want you to be happy." She said, more tears falling. I sobbed a bit again and she stood up.

"I'll be right back, Bells. Stay here." She said. She stood up and ran towards her house. I waited for her to come back. When she was gone, I could see ghastly images of my mother's death in my mind. I cursed my active imagination as I pictured her dead on the floor in a pool of blood. Just as these images went through my head, I saw the Cullen's front door fly open and three people came flying out. Edward was sprinting towards me, with Alice and Esme behind him. I felt happy as I saw Edward's concerned face. He came over to the open door, and snatched me out. I squealed a bit at being lifted, but he shushed me. He carried me over to the steps, and put me down. He placed his arm around my waist and helped me up the stairs and through the door. As soon as it closed, he enveloped me in a big hug.

"I'm so sorry, love." He said sadly. I cried a little more at the reminder of my loss. He held me closer. I saw Esme and Alice move around me, into the living room. I shrugged off my jacket and took off my boots. He led me over to the living room, where everyone else was gathered. Carlisle was home, and talking on his cell phone. He was talking to Charlie. Carlisle spoke for a while longer, before he brought me the phone.

"Charlie wants to talk to you, honey." He said. I took the phone and placed it on my ear.

"He-hello?" I asked, still crying.

"Bella." My dad said. "I need you to listen to me very carefully, OK?" he waited for me to answer.

"OK." I said, scared of what was coming next.

"You and Emmett are staying with Carlisle and Esme for a while. Phil is still loose, and he knows where we live. We know he did it. He left a note. I'm going to go home, and pack you and Em some things. I'll bring them over later. Whatever you do, stay in the house, OK?" I was more terrified than ever. Phil was loose. He knew where I was. He would come for me.

"What about school?" I asked, sensibly.

"No, honey. No school for now. He'll probably look there." My breathing hitched, and I sat motionless.

"Bells? Are you there?" my father asked, sounding concerned. I let out a small whimper and he continued. "Give Emmett the phone, honey. I need to talk with him too."

I handed the phone wordlessly to Emmett. He wasn't crying anymore, but looking sadly at me. He didn't know mom very well. He listened to dad on the phone, not saying more than the occasional word or two. When he was finished, he hung up the phone, and handed it back to Carlisle.

Emmett got up and moved to my other side, Edward stood up politely, handing me to him. I was a little sad to see him go, but I was comforted by Emmett. Esme took Edward's vacated seat. I was between them

"We're staying here for a while." Emmett said to me. I nodded, leaning further into him. I wasn't crying anymore, but I still didn't trust myself to speak. He glanced over me, to Esme. She looked heartbroken. I had never seen her looking so sad. I looked up at her, my vision blurring as more tears threatened to fall. She saw my tears, and hugged me gently.

"I'll always be here if you ever need to talk, honey." She whispered.

"Thank you, Esme." I said softly. She hugged me tighter, before letting me go. She looked over at her son, who was watching me sadly. He came over and took and stood in front of me. He helped me unsteadily to my feet, and led me upstairs. Everyone watched me sadly as I left.

When I got upstairs, he led me into a different bedroom. It was on the third floor, instead of the second. He led me to the end of a long hallway, and through a wooden door at the end. When I walked in, I gasped. It was a white room, with a large king sized bed and a golden comforter. There was a black leather sofa on front of a wall of glass, acting as a window. That's not what shocked me though. The room was huge. One whole wall was taken by a large, expensive stereo system, and shelves of CDs. At the other end, there was a large, baby grand piano. I never knew he played. He led me quietly over to his bathroom. He handed me a pair of his boxers, and a t-shirt. I blushed and went into the bathroom to change. The boxers and shirt were way too big, but they smelled like Edward. I loved his smell. I slid through the door, and was instantly scooped up by Edward. He gave a small, sad smile at the sight of me in his boxers. He placed me gently on the bed, and moved beside me to the piano.

"Bella, can I play you something?" he asked, looking carefully at me. I nodded and he sat down. "You inspired this one. It's your lullaby." I gasped at him. He had written me a song. He began to play, his long, delicate fingers passing over the notes. I felt a bit of recognition as he played the song. Then it hit me. This is the song he was humming that first night! I sighed, and leaned into the pillow. He smiled at me and continued. I felt myself falling asleep, despite my fear and anxiety. The last thing I saw before I fell asleep, was his form moving over to the bed, and him sliding in beside me.

**A/N: REVIEWS! Please????? (insert pouty face here) lol.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 16**

Phil

**A/N: Here's chapter 16. Read and enjoy. :D**

BPOV

I woke up feeling very groggy and disoriented. I sat up quickly, only to feel light headed and laid back down. I wasn't in my room. I looked over to my side, and saw Edward sleeping. It was 5:00 am. Then I remembered yesterday's events. All the memories came rushing back to me, and I felt the tears coming. Mom was dead. Phil was loose. He wanted me. He would try to find me. I was endangering all my family and friends by being alive. My mother was killed because I wasn't there to stop him. I should have told her what he was doing. We should have left. She would still be alive, and I wouldn't have endangered anyone. This was my fault. I sat up again and hugged my knees to my chest. I felt hot tears fall down my cheeks, at the realization that I was endangering the Cullen's now. If he found me, he would hurt them too. Slowly, so as not to wake Edward, I got out of bed. I needed to leave. I couldn't risk everyone here, just for me. I couldn't let anyone else die. I moved downstairs, and into the kitchen. I grabbed a water bottle, and sat down. I needed to leave. I couldn't stay here. I knew he would kill me, but I couldn't let him get them first.

I went upstairs again, and into Edward's room. He was still fast asleep. I went over to his desk, and grabbed some paper and a pen. I would write five letters before I went to my death. I wrote one for Edward, one for Emmett, one for Charlie, one for Rose, Alice and Jasper and one for Carlisle and Esme. Edward's was the longest, because I knew he would blame himself. I made the letter very clear, saying that this was entirely my choice. He wasn't the least bit guilty.

I went over to Edward's enormous closet and tried to find a bag. He had a few school bags way in the back. I took the biggest one. I put some of my clothes, some water bottles, some food from the kitchen, and the paper and pen I had taken. Slowly and quietly, I went and placed the letters in everyone's rooms. Alice and Rose were the hardest, because they usually went to bed late. When I walked into Alice's room, I felt tears threatening to fall as I watched Alice's and Rose's sleeping forms on the bed, knowing that I might never see them again. I walked out quickly before I could start sobbing. I left Charlie's letter on the kitchen table, for Esme to find later. I went silently outside, locking the door behind me with the key I had been given earlier. I went to my mom's old truck, and started it up.

My vision blurred with tears as I moved down the main road. I knew I was being noble, a quality I hated in people. How ironic. I had absolutely no idea where I was going. I needed to find somewhere where I could call him, and tell him I was alone. I wouldn't let him find me, but he needed to know I wasn't with the others. I decided that my old house was the best choice. He would know I wasn't lying. No father in their right mind would allow their child to return to the home where they were abused. I hoped that there would be no cops there. They would just bring me back to Edward's. I didn't want him to get hurt because of me. As I was nearing Port Angeles, the sun was coming up. I knew exactly where I was. Suddenly, I felt my pocket vibrate. I jumped in shock. I didn't have a cell phone. I pulled over, and reached into it, pulling out a brand new phone. Edward must have put it there last night. I sighed and checked the caller ID. 'Edward- Home'. I sighed and put it back in my pocket. I couldn't talk to him. I started driving again. The pocket vibrated again a few minutes later. I knew everyone was probably extremely worried. I pulled it out and glanced at the ID again. 'Emmett'. I almost caved right there and answered it. I knew I was breaking his heart doing this. He always wanted to protect me. I noticed I had two messages waiting. I sighed, and decided to check them. The first was Edward's.

"Bella? Where are you? Please don't do this. Answer your phone. You are utterly absurd. Come back right now, please? We are so worried. I love you. Call me."

I noticed there were tears falling down my face. I wanted so badly to go back. I stopped my flow of tears, and listened to the second.

"Bellsy?" said a teary Emmett. "Bells? I know you're there. Answer you phone. I'm calling back in a few, and if you don't answer, Charlie's coming to find you. We all love you Bells. We need you here. Don't pull some noble crap and get yourself hurt. We love you. Come back please."

I almost lost it right there. I had hurt Em so much already. I almost turned around and drove back, but I remembered what would happen if I did. I would hurt them more, maybe even kill them. But if I didn't call, Em would come find me, or send Charlie. Then Phil would them and hurt them like he did mom. I decided to call, just to tell them I was alright. I took out the new phone, and dialed the Cullen's home number. I held it to my ear, and listened. Someone picked up after one ring.

"Hello?" said a male voice. I recognized the voice as that of Carlisle. Apparently he had come home from work early, most likely because of me.

"Carlisle?" I asked, just making sure it really was him.

"Bella? Is that you? Where are you?" he asked in a worried rush. I could hear clattering and yelling in the background. I guessed that everyone was attempting to snatch the phone away for themselves. I heard a beep. "Bella, you're on speaker phone, hon. Where are you?"

"I can't tell you." I said miserably. "I'm staying away until they catch him. He'll find me if I come back, and kill you all just like he did mom. If it's me he wants, it's me he'll get." I noticed I was crying again. I heard the phone being snatched away, and a new voice spoke next. I pulled over in the truck to hear better.

"Bells, don't be ridiculous. Come back here right now! If you don't, I'm coming to find you, regardless of who might be out there. Where are you?" said a very worried Emmett. I sobbed again. I really wanted to go back. I missed my family.

"Em, stay there." I said in a teary, hysterical voice. "You can't come find me. He'll kill you!"

"Bella, stop it. He won't kill anyone else. Please come home!" I could tell he was becoming desperate.

"No, Em. He'll kill all of you. I'll see you again soon, as long as he doesn't find me." I replied. At my words, I heard a heartbroken, high pitched wail in the background. Alice. I had made her cry again. I was a horrible person.

"Alice? Alice! Please don't cry!" I wailed desperately.

"Bella, come back please!" she wailed desperately.

"I will, Alice, just not yet. Where's Edward?" I asked. I heard someone take the phone from Alice. I heard a beep, and I knew they had turned the speaker phone off.

"Love, where are you?" said the velvety voice I loved. I looked around, desperate to tell him something. He wouldn't let it go.

"I'm out of town." I said stupidly, for a lack of a better response. "I'm fine. I'll come back later." I said, trying to keep him at home.

"Where are you? I'm coming to get you. He'll find you, Bella. I can't let him do that. He's been seen in Port Angeles. The cops are looking for him. Where are you?" he asked. I heard an intake of breath from everyone behind him at his words. They didn't know where he was. I felt a surge of panic, knowing I was in the same town as him. I was silent for a long moment.

"Bella? Are you still there?" asked Edward worriedly.

"Yes." I whispered. "Edward, I'm here. In Port Angeles." I said slowly. I heard his sharp gasp as the phone went to someone else.

"Bells? What's wrong?" said Emmett's voice.

"Em, he's here." I said in a terrified, broken voice. "In Port Angeles."

"You're THERE?!" he screamed, causing me to move the phone from my ear. "Get in your truck, and turn around NOW!" he said in a panicked tone. I agreed now. I needed to leave quickly, before Phil could find me.

"OK. I will. I love you, Em. I'll see y.." My words were cut off by a large hand covering my mouth. I swung around and gasped. Phil was here. He'd found me. I dropped the phone, and I could hear Emmett screaming on the other end. Phil held his hand over my mouth, and grabbed the phone.

"Hello. Isabella can't come to the phone right now. Who might I be speaking to?" he asked in a falsely polite voice. He let go of my mouth, and dragged me over to a nearby car. He still had the phone, and I was struggling to get away. He tossed the phone aside, and gripped me with both arms. I could still hear Emmett screaming over the phone.

"EMMETT!" I screeched as loud as possible, knowing he would hear me. Phil looked alarmed at my volume and slapped me across the face. I fell silent in shock and pain. He grabbed me roughly, and threw me bodily into the back seat of the car. He went over to the front, passenger side. I looked over to the front, to see who was driving. I recognized the big man from the night before my escape. I whimpered a little in utter fear as the memories of my past came flooding back. He seemed to notice my recognition, and smiled menacingly.

"So we meet again, eh Sweetheart? Ready to have some more fun?" he asked. I whimpered again, and shied into the back of the speeding car. Phil chuckled at the sight from the front.

"Isabella, that was a nasty trick you pulled a few weeks ago, running away like that." I cringed away, hoping he wouldn't hit me again. "You know, you look exactly like your mother did yesterday. Like a coward. It's really starting to bug me." He said, losing his smile. I knew the look he had. He was mad. I just kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to give him any more reason to slap me.

"So…" he began conversationally. "Who's Emmett?" he asked, turning to me.

"No one." I answered quickly. Mom had never told Phil about her son. She preferred to forget him. Phil seemed to get even angrier.

"Don't you lie to me! WHO IS HE!?" he screamed, turning around in his seat and putting his face right in mine. He raised his hand and slapped me in the same place as before. I cried out as I felt the skin break and fresh blood ooze out.

"My brother." I said quietly

"Your brother? Well, we'll have some fun with him, won't we?" he said to his friend. I felt another surge of panic at the thought of his hurting Emmett. I knew Phil wouldn't get very far on his own, but he had friends. "Call him." He said, handing me a cell. I stayed put in my place, not wanting to get him involved. Phil shoved the phone in my hands.

"No." I said boldly. "You leave him alone." Phil looked livid now. He slapped me twice.

"You will do as I say, Isabella. I own you." He sneered in my face. My cheeks stung, and I could feel the bruises coming. I reluctantly opened the phone.

"What do I tell him?" I asked, not so politely. Phil slapped me once again. That was all he could manage in a moving vehicle.

"Manners, Isabella." He said. "You will tell him whatever you want. Then I will have a little chat with him. I would _love_ to greet my step-son." He said, seeming all too happy at the idea of 'chatting' with Emmett. I opened the phone and dialed the Cullen's number. It picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?" said a sad, female voice. Rosalie.

"Rose! Is Emmett there?" I asked. I really hoped he was. I didn't know his cell phone number.

"Bella?! Oh my God." She broke down over the phone.

"Rose! Listen please. I need Emmett. He has me. He wants me to talk to him. Please Rose!" I begged her.

"He's just leaving. EMMETT!" she screeched. I was just in time. I head running footsteps and Emmett's voice was on the phone.

"Bells? Oh my God." He was sobbing too. "Are you OK?"

"No, Em. He has me. I love you so much. He wanted me to call you. He wants to talk to you."

"Don't give him the phone, Bells. Dad's here. Were trying to track it. Don't let him hang up. I love you. You need to keep the phone. Has he hurt you at all?" he asked.

"Em, I love you." Was my only response. Emmett would flip if he knew he'd hit me.

"Bells, did he hurt you? Just answer yes or no." he asked, sounding both worried and pissed at the same time. I couldn't lie to him.

"Yes." I stated simply. I heard his groan of anguish.

"What did he do? Did he.." i never heard the end of his question. At that exact moment, Phil snatched the phone away violently. I tried desperately to get it back. He just slapped me again, and pushed me back.

"Why, hello Emmett. My name is Phil. I don't believe we've met formally." Said Phil. I could hear angry shouting over the other end.

"Tsk. Tsk. Is that any way to speak to your loving step-father, Emmett?" I heard Emmett's howl of rage.

"How much do you love your sister, Emmett?" he asked casually. I didn't know what he was getting at. Phil paused and listened to his reply.

"Well, son, I really don't like the way you're speaking to me. I've already had to remind Isabella of her manners. Who knew Renee was so laid back on the manners?" he said. "Well we'll fix that right now. Pull over." He said to the driver. I felt the car come to a stop. I could hear Emmett yelling over the phone again. Phil just listened and smiled.

"Save your breath." He said. "You've already told us how dearly you love her, and I need to teach you a lesson." I knew what he was planning. He was going to punish me for Emmett's rude attitude. "Talk to Isabella." He shoved the phone back at me.

"Em!" I cried into the phone. I could hear his desperate, angry sobs over the phone. I felt Phil pull me out of the car, and onto a narrow path leading into the woods.

"Bells! I'm sorry! Oh my God." He broke down, and I heard the phone clatter to the floor. A moment later, a new voice spoke.

"Bella? Sweetheart? We're coming for you. Just hold on OK? Where are you?" said my father.

"I don't know, daddy." I said, sobbing. Phil's head whipped around and he handed me a cue card he was writing on. I read what it said.

_Get your brother on the phone, no one else. Then give me the phone. Or else._

"Dad? Get Emmett back on please. I can't talk to you." I said.

"Is he threatening you?" said my dad in a serious voice.

"Yes. Please just put Emmett on. I love you daddy." I said desperately.

"I love you too, honey. Hold on. Em?" I heard the phone moving around.

"Bells?" said a broken voice.

"Emmett." Was all I said before Phil took the phone away.

"So, son, who all is there with you?" he asked. I could hear Emmett politely listing off all the people.

"Good. Put the phone on speaker please. I think everyone would love to hear this." He said with a psychotic look in his eyes. He was crazy. "Hello everyone." He said, to the household. He took the phone from his ear, and pressed a button. "Say hello to Isabella. You never know when the last time might be" He said menacingly. He had put it on speaker phone. My stomach clenched in fear.

"Bella?" said a voice. Carlisle. "Are you OK? Are you injured?" Before I could answer, Phil did it for me.

"No doctor questions, Dr. Cullen. She's in pristine condition, isn't that right, Isabella?" he gave me a look that made me cringe. I knew better than to tell the truth.

"Yes." I said meekly.

"Good. Now is my step-son there?" he asked.

"Yes." I heard Emmett's broken voice say.

"Good. Now we will all learn a lesson together. Emmett was awfully rude to me on the phone earlier. He needs to be put in his place. He also shared with me how much he absolutely loves his baby sister." Said Phil, implications thick in his voice. Suddenly we stopped walking as we arrived at a warehouse. Phil was silent as he dragged me inside. He threw me bodily on the floor, and I felt my head make contact and I cried out. I saw black spots in my line of vision.

"What did you do?" screamed a velvet voice. "BELLA!?" he screamed.

"Edward?" I asked, feeling dazed.

"Bella! What happened?" he asked, crying.

"Nothing to compared to what's coming to her." Hissed Phil angrily. I heard an uproar on the other end.

"QUIET!" screamed Phil, and to my surprise, everyone was silent. "That's better. Now I need to teach you all a lesson in manners. Poor, poor Isabella." He sighed, looking over at me. I heard a small intake of breath on the other end, and some muffled sobs.

"Now for Emmett's lesson." He said, advancing on me. He grabbed me violently, and slapped me hard on the face, the slap echoing around the room. I cried out as more blood oozed from the previous cut. He pulled me up and slapped me some more.

"STOP!" I screamed. My face felt like it was on fire. I heard a groan of anger and pain from the other end of the phone.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." Said Emmett. I couldn't even muster up the will to respond.

"How did that feel, Isabella?" asked Phil. I didn't answer him. He slapped me again. "Answer me when I am speaking to you.

"Bad." I answered meekly.

"Hm." He replied. "Where is the one called Jasper?" he asked. He was going to punish me once for everyone there. I felt the dread rising up. I would probably die here.

"Here." Said the low, quiet voice of Jasper.

"Well Jasper, I don't like that particular word you used earlier. Not very gentleman like, especially in front of the ladies. Well, you'll learn right now how I am to be spoken to." He turned to me again.

He came up to me and grabbed my hand. He held it up. He truly was psychotic. I whimpered at whatever pain he was about to inflict. He grabbed my index finger and began to bend it back. I cried out as he bent it further. I heard it make a sickening crack, and a surge of pain shot up my arm. I screamed at the pain. I could hear wailing and sobbing on the other end.

"Well, Jasper, I hope you learned your lesson. Next we will speak to the ladies. Alice, Rosalie and Esme. We can do yours together. You weren't too vulgar." He said, clearly thinking he was being kind.

"Let her go, please." Said a Rose. I heard Alice crying behind her.

"I don't think I will, Sweetie. See, Isabella ran away from me and her dear mother. We missed her so much. She needs to be punished." He said sweetly to Rose. "Now, since the ladies are three, we'll need an extra big punishment. Hmmm." He was clearly thinking. "Alice?" he spoke up suddenly.

"Yes?" I heard Alice's small voice call out.

"I believe you knew my old friend, Mark." I heard Alice's breath hitch. "Well, he broke your arm, did he not? Is that not a painful process?" Alice wailed in agony, and Phil took it as a 'yes'.

He sauntered over to me, and threw me to the ground. He grabbed my right arm, and placed in on the concrete floor, and stepped on it with all his weight. I felt a surge of pain through my arm, and I heard a loud crack, like a gunshot. I screamed bloody murder at the pain. I also heard Alice's scream of terror. Carlisle's voice was the next I heard.

"Bella? Don't move your arm. It'll make it worse." He said.

"OK." I whispered between my gasps. Just to spite Carlisle, Phil picked me up off the floor and brought me to my feet. I cried out again at the shooting pain. He shoved me over to the wall closest to the door. I noticed it was open.

"Who's next?" said Phil. No one spoke up. "What about you, Edward? You used some extreme choice language earlier. I believe Isabella is special to you is she not?" he asked.

"You let her go. She belongs to no one." He hissed angrily. Phil looked over at me, smirking at my pain.

"Well, Eddie, I suggest you tell that to my friend. He seemed to like her. He loved her something special." He said. I knew he was referring to his big friend who was driving. I looked over and saw him watching from behind some old crates. "Let's see if he still loves her, shall we?" I heard Edward and Rosalie cry out at the same time.

"NO!" they said.

"Don't you touch her you sick bastard." Said Edward. I felt scared as his big friend sauntered over, looking slightly drunk.

"I love you, Edward!" I cried out desperately.

"Shh, Love. We're coming." He said. I heard some loud footsteps running on the other end, and a door opening.

"Come here, sweetie." Said his friend. "We'll have some fun." He looked at me, lust clear in his eyes. I heard someone hang up the phone on the other end, and my heart sank. He was going to rape me again. He ran the last few feet, and grabbed my unbroken arm. He pulled me roughly over behind the crates. He began to undress himself very slowly. It took a total of 10 minutes for him to just remove his clothes. He was trying to be seductive. He advanced on me slowly, making the most of the moment. I was sobbing from fear and pain. He removed my sweater first, struggling with my broken arm. He moved next to my long sleeved shirt, trying to be seductive. I cried and struggled, making his job harder. I could hear Phil chuckling as his friend struggled with me.

"She's a wild one eh?" I heard Phil yell from the other end of the room.

"That's for sure." He said, smiling. I whimpered, knowing he would be rough this time. He gave up on my shirt and moved to my pants. He undid the button slowly, pulling down the zipper. He yanked them down hard, leaving me in my underwear. He moved to take those off too, when I made a split second decision. I would not let him violate me again. I needed to be strong. I whipped my arm back and punched him square in the nose. He screamed in pain and I could see the blood flowing from his nose. I pushed back the nausea and dizziness that came along with it. I kicked him between the legs, and made a run for it. I ran to the door, hoping to get there in time. I felt a hand grip my broken arm, and I cried out in pain. I turned to see Phil's livid face. I reached up, and punched him too. I needed to get away. I needed to get home. He wouldn't do this to me again. I felt a fist collide with the side of my face, and my vision faltered. I fell to the ground, stunned. I saw Phil blurrily get on top of me, trying to rape me himself. His friend was still in the corner, writhing in pain. I had kicked him hard. I feebly tried to push Phil's bulk off of me, failing miserably. Suddenly from behind me, I heard a loud screech. I heard running footsteps and yells. A few minutes later, Phil's bulk was lifted from me. I looked around to see my saviours.

**A/N: OOH! Cliffy!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 17**

Saviours

**A/N: Phil's kidnapping part 2.**

BPOV

I watched as three figures grabbed Phil, and threw him into the nearby wall. As my vision focussed, I recognized the figures as Emmett, Carlisle and Edward. I smiled painfully, as I tried to get up. As I was getting there, a pair of strong, gentle arms helped me up. I looked up and saw Jasper's angry, concerned face. I smiled at him tearfully, and pulled him into a painful hug. I left my broken arm hanging at my side, not wanting to hurt it more. He hugged me back, tightly.

"Thank you, Jasper." I said to him. I heard him chuckle.

"No problem, honey. We all love you. Come on outside. Alice and Rose are waiting." He scooped me up bridal style and carried me out. I leaned into him, feeling very sleepy and worn out. I opened one eye slowly, and saw Alice and Rose running over, looking scared.

"Bella? Can you hear me?" asked Rose softly.

"Yeah." I said. "I want to go home. Where's dad?" I asked.

"Charlie's coming. Oh, honey, why did you leave?" she asked, looking hurt.

"I had to, Rose. He would have killed you all. I couldn't let you die." I said, my voice breaking. She looked exasperated.

"Bella, never do anything like that again. We were so worried. He hurt you honey. Did he….. you know." She asked, looking concerned. That's when I remembered I was only wearing my underpants.

"No." I said quickly. "I think I broke his nose." I stated, sounding a little proud.

Just then, about 5 police cars sped up to us. Charlie leapt out before the car was even stopped. He sprinted towards Jasper, who was still holding me.

"Bella? Oh my God. Is she OK?" I could see the tears streaming down his face as he rushed forwards. A lot of his co-workers looked sad, angry and shocked.

"Daddy!" I cried. Jasper moved forwards, and placed me gently on my feet. I stumbled dizzily towards him. He came and pulled me into a tight hug. I cried out a bit as my arm throbbed. He noticed, and pulled away, looking scared. He saw my broken arm and finger and his face turned livid.

"That son of a bitch. Where the hell is he?" he screamed. I felt someone else take me into their arms as Charlie sped off towards the warehouse. I looked up and saw Rose's face. I let myself fall into her. She seemed reluctant to carry me, in case she hurt my arm. She beckoned over her shoulder and soon, I was lifted again into Jasper's arms. Rose and Alice rushed to my side, and I burst into tears. Alice was crying too.

"Shh, Bella. You're safe now." Said Jasper and Rose together. I looked over at the distraught pixie beside me.

"Alice, I made you cry again! I am such a horrid person!" I wailed, completely insensible.

"No, Bella!" said Alice, quickly stopping her tears. "No! Don't say that! I love you so much Bella! Never ever say that again!" I could tell she wanted to cry again, but she held back. Just then, Emmett, Edward and Carlisle came flying through the doors.

"Bells!" yelled Emmett in a booming voice. "Oh my God! Bella!" he screamed as he ran towards me. He arrived at our little group, and took me gently from Jasper.

"I'm sorry, Emmett!" I said before he could say anything. "I love you!" I saw his eyes fill with tears as he held me gently. I knew he probably wanted to squeeze the life out of me, but he thought better of it.

"Bellsy," Was all he said before we both lost it. He carried me over to the car they had come in, and placed me in the back seat. He crawled in after me, and I leaned my sore head on his chest. He rubbed my hair, crying. After a long while, the door opened. I saw Carlisle standing there, but it wasn't him I was concerned about. Behind him stood a heartbroken God. He looked like he was about to cry. I stumbled out of the car, despite Carlisle's worried shouts and ran over to him. He grasped me in an iron grip and held me there. I could feel his body shaking with sobs, as was my own. We stood like that for a minute, before Carlisle spoke.

"Bella, may I look at your arm?" he asked. I nodded and moved over to him, feeling very tired. Just as I reached him, I felt my knees give out and I fell down. My knees hit the ground and a pair of arms lifted me. I looked up and saw Carlisle carrying me. I was very tired. He placed me in the car again, beside Emmett and asked me to roll up my sleeve. I rolled it up, and saw that my arm was swollen, and bruised. It seemed to bend wrong in the middle. Carlisle looked angry when he saw it. He looked at my finger next, and confirmed that both were broken.

"What did he do, Bella?" he asked me seriously.

"He hit me a lot, stepped on my arm, bent my finger back, and punched me. He and his friend tried to do other things too, but I punched them in the face." I said sleepily.

"Well I think you might have a concussion, some bruises and of course the broken arm, but nothing too serious. Come on, we'll go to the hospital." I tensed involuntarily at the idea of the hospital. Carlisle noticed this.

"Bella, he's going to jail. They won't call him." He said. I nodded, and he sat me up in my seat. Edward moved over to me, and placed his arm around me gently. Alice got in the other side, and I rested my head on her shoulder. She hugged me gently. Carlisle got in the driver's seat, while Rose forced Emmett into the passenger side. He wanted to be a gentleman and let her ride. The rest piled into Emmett's Jeep.

We drove to the hospital quickly. It was very quiet except my occasional sobs. My arm and head were really starting to hurt. I leaned into Edward, and groaned.

"What is it, love?" he asked.

"Edward, I hurt." I said, He looked down at me sympathetically. I nuzzled closer to him, just as we reached the hospital. I tried to walk, but failed, so Edward scooped me into his dependable arms and carried me inside.

Since Carlisle worked here, he got us in fast. He was the one who casted my arm, and braced my finger. I sobbed in pain throughout the whole thing, and Carlisle looked sorry and pained on my behalf. When we were done, he did a few tests to make sure my head was OK, and we went home. Carlisle drove me to his house, claiming that he wanted to keep an eye on me tonight. I didn't object. Charlie, Emmett, Rose and Jasper were staying too. I really wanted to see Esme who had stayed home to keep an eye on the phone, in case Phil had called again. Edward carried me into the house, and I noticed that the others were already here. As soon as I got in, Charlie came running forward and took me from Edward. I was exhausted as he carried me to the couch.

"Bells." He said. "Oh my God." He was speechless.

"I'm sorry, daddy." I said, tears falling again.

"Oh, honey, don't be. It wasn't your fault. That stupid, sick bastard's in jail now. He'll be there for life." Said Charlie, hugging me. I leaned into him, feeling safe. I began to fall asleep, when Charlie moved away. I looked up, trying to stay awake. He was replaced with a smaller, gentler form. Esme's arms snaked around me, and I leaned into her. I could smell her perfume. I liked her smell. She was the closest thing to my mom now.

"I'm tired, Esme." I said to her.

"Of course, honey." She said. "You can take you're pills and go right to bed."

"My pills?" I said, confused.

"For your arm." She said. Oh. Pain pills.

"OK." I said. Edward came forward and I leaned into him next. I seemed incapable of holding myself up. Esme came back swiftly with some fruit juice, a sandwich and two white pills. I eyed the sandwich hungrily.

"You need to eat with them, so I made you a sandwich." She said kindly.

"Thank you, Esme." I said back, picking up the sandwich. I ate the whole thing, and took my pills. When I was done, I gulped down my juice. I got up off the couch, only to fall to my side. Edward caught me quickly before I fell.

"Thank you, Edward." I mumbled.

"I love you." He said.

"I know." I responded. I heard people laughing behind us, and even Edward chuckled. I fell asleep before we even made it upstairs.


	18. Epilogue

**Blood and Foul- Chapter 18**

Epilogue

I groggily opened my eyes to the blazing light of the morning. I looked to my right, and saw Edward was there, smiling sadly. I blushed, and looked at him too. My arm felt very bulky and sore with the cast.

"Good morning." I said. He smiled and kissed me gently.

"Good morning to you too." He said. "I love you."

"I love you too Edward." I said. He smiled again.

"Come on downstairs. Everyone's waiting for us." He said. I nodded, and swung myself out of bed. I went into Edward's bathroom, and looked in the mirror. I grimaced. I had a new bruise on my cheek and arms, and my finger was bruised. I could see another bruise starting under the cast. I hurt a lot. I sighed, and went back out. Edward noticed my frown.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. I sighed, and gestured at my bruise.

"Its fine, love. He hit you pretty hard. I'm surprised it's not bigger than that." He said. I nodded.

"I hurt." I said, letting him hold me. He sighed sadly.

"I know. Come on. Dad will give you something." He said. I nodded, and we went downstairs, into the living room. Everyone watched me closely, and Emmett patted the spot beside him on the loveseat. I went and plopped down, still frowning. He hugged me gently, and I leaned into him.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I sighed, and ignored him. He knew what was wrong.

"You hurt?" he asked. I nodded. Carlisle jumped up and came over.

"Can I look?" he asked. I nodded. He looked at my arm and finger first, and sighed at the extensive bruising. He moved on to my head, which he felt. There were no sore spots, and he was pleased.

"I do have a headache though." I said. He nodded.

"I'll go grab some pills." He said. I smiled thankfully.

"Bells, we're leaving soon." Said Emmett. I shrugged, and leaned further into him. Esme came over, looking sad. She hugged me tightly, and I could feel her intense protectiveness of me. I loved her so much.

"You know I love you right?" she asked. I giggled.

"Yes. I love you too Esme." She beamed, and kissed my cheek. I smiled. Carlisle came back with his pill case. He opened it, and handed me two large ones.

"Pain killers." He said. He proceeded to fill a bottle of them, and hand it to Emmett.

"Two every four hours, even at night." He said. Emmett nodded, and hugged him. Dad was sitting on the couch watching me closely. He smiled when I caught his gaze.

"We'd better go." Said Emmett sadly. Everyone nodded sadly. Dad hugged Carlisle and Esme, and said goodbye to everyone else before leaving. Emmett and I hugged everyone, especially Edward and Rosalie. Edward held me tightly, not wanting to let go.

"I'll see you later." He whispered. I nodded, and kissed him.

"I love you." I said. He smiled and hugged me tighter.

"I love you too. Be safe." He said. I nodded, and followed Emmett outside. Em opened the door for me, and I got in his massive Jeep. I leaned my sore head on the window as Emmett started the Jeep. He leaned over and kissed my hair before moving out of the Cullen's driveway. I watched sadly as the house disappeared. I knew I'd be back tomorrow, but there was still a sadness about leaving it. Emmett smiled at me as we drove. I knew I was going home. The only real home I'd ever had. One of the few places I felt safe. I smiled. I thought about my life and my most recent hardship. I knew now, that was over. This chapter of my life was coming to a close, and I was happy about it. I was pleased to put all this on the past and move on. Emmett was watching me in my trance, and I blushed. He smirked.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked. I sighed.

"It's over, Em. All of it." I said. He smiled.

"Yes it is." He agreed. I smiled, knowing I had my entire life ahead of me, filled with much deserved peace and happiness.

**FIN**


End file.
